Prayers to St Brighid of Kildare

Since prayers to this incredible Saint who seems to have found a place in my heart despite myself are rare, I thought I would put a compilation of them on my blog to encourage devotion to her. She has absolutely blown me away with her personal care of my soul-- bringing me at every turn to the Cross of Christ and giving me faith, hope and love in abundance:

An Bheannacht --The Blessing

[Irish] In ainm an Athar agus
an Mhic agus an Spioraid Naoimh. Áméin.

[Phonetically] in on-im on ah-her
ah-gus on vick ah-gus on sprid nave. áiméin

[English] In the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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May God bless you, child.

I put you under the protections of Mary and her Son.

Under the care of Brigid and her cloak.

And under the shelter of God tonight.



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St Brigid, Mary of Ireland
Ask for us all today
The courage to do God's bidding
Whatever the world may say
The grace to be strong and valiant
The grace to be firm and true
The grace to be faithful always
To God, God's mother and you.

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"May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell. Bless every fireside, every wall and door. Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof. Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy. Bless every foot that walks its portals through. May Brigid bless the house that shelters you."

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Brigid,
You were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness.
You brought hope to the downcast.
May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled
or anxious, and may peace be
firmly rooted in our hearts
and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us. Calm us into a quietness
that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind,
body and spirit. Amen

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Everliving God, we rejoice today in the fellowship of thy Blessed servant Brigid, and we give thee thanks for her life of devoted service. Inspire us with life and light, and give us perseverance to serve thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end.

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his
poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of
this world, that, following the example of thy servant Bridget,
we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the
riches of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

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I will build the hearth,

As Mary would build it.

The encompassment of Bride and of Mary,

Guarding the hearth, guarding the floor,

Guarding the household of all.
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Beloved Father, just before Saint Brigid was born, her Christian mother was sold to a Druid landowner. Even though she grew up oppressed as a slave, she found great joy in loving You. As the patron saint of babies, she has a special concern for the gift of new life, so I ask her to pray for the babies in my family, both born and unborn. May they grow up with Jesus and obtain the joy of knowing Him. I place into Your loving hands, Father, all the babies who died prematurely, through abortion, miscarriage or medical conditions. Ask them, Lord, to intercede for me and my family. Saint Brigid, pray for us. Amen.

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Lord God, you gave St Brigid as patroness over nuns and young children. I ask therefore that through her intercession, by which an entire nation under bondage of darkness was made yours and turned to a beacon of light for all mankind,you would help all of us who are called to a vocation of both religious life and parenthood. Strengthen us to carry out our calling to live as salt and light in the earth. Give us wisdom to teach, guide and care for the souls of the children we have been given, both physical and spiritual, and help us, by the example of Brigid, to live Holy lives that are pleasing to You. Grant us the grace of contagious faith, through which we hope to persevere in love for the salvation of souls. Lord, you gave us in her an example of a woman who was zealous, powerful and heroic, all the while remaining submitted to the authorities you placed over her. Grant that we might love you more and more and that through her prayers, our lives would be changed. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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And lastly, there are the fifteen prayers of St Bridget. These are actually prayers that have nothing to do with Brigid of Kildare, but rather with Bridget of Sweden, but since so many people confuse the two saints I am quite certain that where these fifteen prayers are said in honor of Brigid of Kildare and in reparation for Christ's wounds, she and He both hear. :) So, here they are:

THE FIFTEEN PRAYERS
OF SAINT BRIDGET.

1 st Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! You have proved
that You have no greater desire than to be among men,
even assuming human nature
at the fullness of time for the love of men.
I recall all the sufferings of Your life especially Your Passion.

I remember, O Lord,
that during the Last Supper with Your disciples,
having washed their feet,
You gave them Your Most Precious Body and Blood,
and, while consoling them,
You foretold Your coming Passion.

I remember the sadness and bitterness
which You experienced in Your Soul as You said,
"My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."

I remember all the fear,
anguish and pain that You did suffer
in Your delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion,
when, after having prayed three times,
bathed in a sweat of blood,
You were betrayed by Judas,
arrested by the people of a nation You had chosen and elevated,
accused by false witnesses
and unjustly judged by three judges.

I remember that You were despoiled of Your garments
and clothed in those of derision,
that Your Face and Eyes were covered,
that You were beaten,
crowned with thorns,
a reed placed in Your Hands,
that You were crushed with blows
and overwhelmed with insults and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings
which You endured before Your Passion on the Cross,
grant me before my death a true contrition,
a sincere and entire confession,
worthy satisfaction
and the remission of all my sins.

Amen.

2 nd Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the horror and sadness
which You endured when Your enemies surrounded You,
and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations
and other unheard of cruelties tormented You.
In consideration of these torments and insulting words,
I beg You to deliver me from all my enemies,
visible and invisible,
and to bring me,
under Your protection,
to the perfection of eternal salvation.

Amen.

3 rd Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the very bitter pain
You did suffer when the executioners
nailed Your Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross
by blow after blow with big blunt nails,
and, not finding You in a sad enough state,
to satisfy their cruelty they enlarged Your Wounds,
and added pain to pain,
stretching Your Body on the Cross
and dislocated Your Bones by pulling Them on all sides.
I beg of You by the memory
of this most loving suffering of the Cross
to grant me the grace to love You.

Amen.

4 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I Remember the bruises You suffered
and the weakness of Your Body,
which was distended to such a degree
that never was there pain like Yours.
From the crown of Your Head to the soles of Your Feet
there was not one spot on Your Body which was not in torment.
Yet, for getting all Your sufferings,
You did not cease to pray
to Your Heavenly Father for Your enemies, saying:
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Through this great mercy and in memory of this suffering,
grant that the remembrance of Your most bitter Passion
may effect in us a perfect contrition
and the remission of all our sins.

Amen.

5 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the sadness which You experienced when,
foreseeing those who would be damned for their sins,
You suffered bitterly over these hopeless,
lost and unfortunate sinners.

Through this abyss of compassion and pity
and especially through the goodness
which You displayed to the good thief when You said to him,
"This day you will be with Me in Paradise,"
I beg of You that at the hour of my death to show me mercy.

Amen.

6 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the grief which You suffered when,
like a common criminal,
You were raised and fastened to the Cross,
when all Your relatives and friends abandoned You,
except Your Beloved Mother who remained close to You during Your agony
and Whom You entrusted to Your faithful disciple when You said,
"Woman, behold Your son. Son behold your Mother. "

I beg You by the sword of sorrow
which pierced the soul of Your Holy Mother,
to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations,
both of body and spirit,
and to assist me in all my trials
and especially at the hour of my death.

Amen.

7 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember Your profound gesture of love
from the Cross when You said, "I thirst,"
and Your suffering from the thirst
for the salvation of the human race.
I beg You to inflame in our hearts
the desire to tend toward perfection in all our actions
and to extinguish in us all wordly desires.

Amen.

8 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the bitterness of the gall and vinegar
which You tasted on the Cross for love of us.
Grant us the grace to receive worthily
Your Precious Body and Blood
during our life and at the hour of our death
that It may be a remedy of consolation for our souls.

Amen.

9 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the pain You endured when,
immersed in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death,
insulted, outraged by the people,
You cried out in a loud voice
that You were abandoned by Your Father, saying:
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Through this anguish I beg You
not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death.

Amen.

10 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember that for our sakes
You were immersed into an abyss of suffering.
In consideration of the enormity of Your Wounds,
teach me to keep,
through pure love,
Your Commandments,
which are a wide and easy path for those who love You.

Amen.

11 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember Your Wounds
which penetrated to the very marrow of Your Bones
and to the depth of Your Being.
Draw me away from sin and hide me in Your Wounds.

Amen.

12 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the multitude of Wounds
which afflicted You from Head to Foot,
torn and reddened by the spilling of Your Precious Blood.
O great and universal pain
which You suffered in Your Flesh for love of us!
What is there You could have done for us
which You have not done?

May the fruit of Your sufferings be renewed in my soul
by the faithful remembrance of Your Passion
and may Your love increase in my heart each day
until I see You in eternity,
You Who are the treasury of every real good and joy,
which I beg You to grant me in Heaven.

Amen.

13 rd Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the pain You endured
when all Your strength,
both moral and physical,
was entirely exhausted;
You bowed Your Head, saying:
"It is consummated."

Through this anguish and grief,
I beg You to have mercy on me at the hour of my death,
when my mind will be greatly troubled
and my soul will be in anguish.

Amen.

14 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the simple
and humble recommendation You made of Your Soul
to Your Eternal Father, saying,
"Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit,"
and when, Your Body all torn and Your Heart broken, You expired.
By this precious death,
I beg You to comfort me and give me help to resist the devil,
the flesh and the world, so that,
being dead to the world,
I may live for You alone.
I beg of You at the hour of my death to receive me.

Amen.

15 th Prayer


Say one "Our Father..."
Say one "Hail Mary..."

O Jesus! I remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which You shed.
From Your Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier,
Blood and Water poured forth
until there was not left in Your Body a single Drop;
and finally the very substance of Your Body withered
and the marrow of Your Bones dried up.

Through this bitter Passion
and through the outpouring of Your Precious Blood,
I beg You to pierce my heart
so that my tears of penance and love
may be my bread day and night.
May I be entirely converted to You;
may my heart be Your perpetual resting place;
may my conversation be pleasing to You;
and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that
I may merit Heaven
and there with Your saints praise You forever.

Amen.

The fifteen prayers were taught by Jesus to Saint Bridget. He said to her,

I received 5,480 wounds on My Body during My Passion.
If you wish to honor each of them in some way
pray the following prayers each day for a whole year.
When the year is over, you will have honored each one of My Wounds.