The daily Word of God

At first glance, the saint we celebrate today—Saint Bridget of Sweden—might feel a bit distant. Distant in geography: Sweden is far from Spain, and even farther from Latin America, where most of the readers of this reflection live (even though the order she founded, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, has four monasteries in Spain, four in Mexico, and one in Venezuela). And she feels distant in time too—she was born in 1303 and died in 1373. That’s the 14th century, which to us feels like a dark and distant time, half-lost in the mists of a forgotten past. That medieval Europe seems to us a bit rough and lawless.

But there’s always something to learn—especially from a saint recognized by the Church. Bridget was a surprising and courageous woman. She was married at the age of 15, as was common back then, to a nobleman, and had eight children. But that didn’t stop her from being a committed Christian and a faithful daughter of the Church. She influenced her husband—who, like many men of that time, could be a bit “barbaric”—and convinced him to go with her on pilgrimages. One of those took them to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which was a long and difficult journey in those days. Later, when she became a widow, she decided to found a monastic order. To do it properly, she went to Rome to present her idea to the Pope. Throughout all these travels, she always kept the poor and needy in mind—something that has always been a mark of true Christians throughout history.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that branches cannot bear fruit if they are separated from the vine. In Christian terms: if we are not united with Jesus, the true vine, we cannot bear fruit. Bridget was able to bear fruits of holiness for the world because she remained united to Jesus all her life. That is where she found the strength to do all she did, to face the difficulties along the way, and to dedicate herself to prayer and service to the poor. She was able to do all that because she stayed closely connected to Jesus. That alone is enough to make us stop and ask ourselves: where are we standing?

Fernando Torres, cmf