In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we would share this lovely prayer attributed to another Irish saint, St. Brigid.
St. Brigid was born around 450 in Ireland. Even as a child, she was known for her compassion for the poor. She would give away food, clothing, and even her father’s possessions to the poor. She later started a women’s monastery which was the beginning of women’s cenobitic monasticism in Ireland.
The prayer attributed to her reads:
I should like a great lake of finest ale
For the King of kings.
I should like a table of the choicest food
For the family of heaven.
Let the ale be made from the fruits of faith,
And the food be forgiving love.
I should welcome the poor to my feast,
For they are God’s children.
I should welcome the sick to my feast,
For they are God’s joy.
Let the poor sit with Jesus at the highest place,
And the sick dance with the angels.
God bless the poor,
God bless the sick,
And bless our human race.
God bless our food,
God bless our drink,
All homes, O God, embrace.
Amen.
Icon written by Julia Hays of Ikonographics.