February 1 is the Feast Day of St. Brigid of Ireland. Our family has long had an affection for this great Saint. During our recent trip to Ireland I came to realize just how popular she is in that country, second only to St. Patrick it seems.
This revered Saint has a most interesting association with beer. According to tradition, Brigid was working in a leper colony when they ran out of beer. Since beer was an important source of safe liquid refreshment and nourishment, this was indeed a serious issue. Brigid is said to have changed her bath water into beer to nourish the lepers and visiting clerics. In another miracle attributed to St. Brigid, she provided beer to 18 churches for an entire Easter season, all from a single barrel of beer in her convent.
A well-known prayer attributed to St. Brigid begins "
I'd Like A Great Lake Of Beer For The King Of Kings. I Would Like To Be Watching Heaven's Family Drinking It Through All Eternity." Perhaps we'll all get to see that great lake some day.
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| Ballintubber Abbey, County Mayo, Ireland |
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| Ring of Kerry, County Kerry, Ireland |
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| Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland |
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| The Black Abbey, Kilkenny, Ireland |
Photos by C. Turley
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