Homily on the Feast of St. Bridget of Ireland

Great Lessons From St. Bridget Of Ireland

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Feast of St. Bridget of Ireland

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. But it is also the Sunday we celebrate in a special way our dear patron, St. Bridget of Ireland. Because of the uniqueness of today, I will like to share some of the key lessons we can learn from St. Bridget. Saints in heaven are saints because they were first saints on earth. If you want to be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint here on earth. So, how did St. Bridget become a saint?

We live in a world where selfishness and greed are the order of the day. Greed indeed is an incurable disease that only the good God can cure. People don’t complain, don’t protest and don’t frown until something hits them directly and personally. But waiting until something affects you personally before you stand up and oppose it is not Christianity. In the case of St. Bridget, we are told that she had a deep compassion for the poor and the marginalized. She was renowned for her unwavering care towards the poor, the sick, and those on the fringes of society. In the course of her life, she emphasized the vital importance of actively reaching out to help others without expecting anything in return. That’s what saints do. They give and give expecting nothing but the Lord. For the saints, the greatest treasure is not silver and gold but the Lord alone. For St. Bridget, what matters is not awesome power but awesome service to others especially the most vilified and maligned in the society. If you want to be a saint in heaven like St. Bridget, start being a saint today by caring for those who need our help the most.

St. Bridget was also known for her generosity and hospitality. She was known for welcoming all people with open arms, sharing what she had with others, and creating a space of hospitality for those in need. What does generosity really mean? It means mercy. If you have experienced the loving mercy of God, allow others to also experience the same through you. If you have felt the providential hand of a loving God, become a vehicle, a conduit through which others experience the same love and mercy. Give to others everything you have received from God. You know, everything God gives you including your life is not for keep. We are given to give. My life is not about me and what I want. It is primarily about God, then others and then me. Take this to the bank: if you want real joy in your life, the word “JOY” has to be an acronym you live by. “J” then stands for Jesus, “O” for others and “Y” for you.” If you want to be a saint in heaven, like St. Bridget, actively welcome people that God brings to your space. Don’t ignore them. Don’t avoid them. Open your arms to them. That will make you a saint.

The great St. Bridget was also known for her prayer life. But beyond prayers, her faith was manifested through her actions. She actively sought to alleviate the suffering of others and lived out the teachings of Christ through her daily life. Saying your prayers frequently is a great Christian virtue and habit, but in prayer, do you encounter Jesus who said, “Whatsoever you did for the least of my brethren, you did to me?” If your prayer life does not lead you to an encounter with this Jesus, something is really missing. During his public ministry, Jesus practiced open table fellowship, he actively reached out and brought back those in Israel who had been disenfranchised— the poor, the sick, lepers, prostitutes, the blind, tax collectors. By gathering the tribes, Jesus announces his disapproval of the ugly game of insiders versus outsiders. As far as Jesus is concerned, no one is an outsider, rather all God’s children are insiders. Do you want to be a saint in heaven? Begin now by being a saint on earth. Show compassion to those on the fringes of society. 

St. Bridget created what we have come to know as St. Bridget’s Cross. Why? She wanted a tangible symbol that will help her share her faith and connect with others. She knew there is nothing like “private faith.” We cannot privatize faith or make it something we do when we are only in church. Authentic faith is lived out. It is shared with all and sundry. Finally, despite her influence and miracles, St. Bridget remained humble and focused on serving others. By concrete example, she demonstrated that true power lies not in dominating and controlling others but in selfless acts of service. What truly makes a person great? Who is a great person? Is it that individual that bullies others? No! Is it that person that dominates and terrorizes others? No! Is it that person that uses power to make his presence known? No! A great person lives for others. If you want to see the greatest person ever, take a look at the cross. What’s Jesus doing on the cross? He is setting us free. He is drawing all people to God, and by drawing people to God, he draws them together. 

Sisters and brothers, this is our patron saint. If we want to be saints in heaven, this is what we have to do on earth. 

God bless you!

Homily on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Mother And Child United By One Fate

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Today we celebrate the Fourth Joyful Mystery— the Presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple. In fulfillment of the law, Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus to Jerusalem. Upon entering the temple, they met two godly and prophetic figures, Simeon and Anna, who for many years, had been praying and waiting for the Messiah. The Jews were expecting a messiah that would make all their socio-political problems go away. At the time, Israel was under the political control of Rome. Now, being controlled and governed by a foreign government was not new to Israel. They had experienced it before in Egypt. But, this particular submission was uniquely terrible and painful for them because they were living in their land and being governed by a pagan government in Rome. So, they were expecting a Messiah who would come on a rescue operation. But instead he came in riding on a donkey. As the Son of God, he could have come with legions of Angels, with power and might. But he came humbly. He rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. And guess what? He continues to do so till today. 

So, when Mary and Joseph came into the temple to perform the custom of the law in regard to the infant Jesus, the upright and devout Simeon was on hand to receive them. He was in the temple at the rightest of time. Of all the times and hours he had been in the temple to pray and worship, this particular one is the most signifiant. He had been promised by God that he would not see death until he had seen “the Christ of the Lord.” That promise was fulfilled at this event. Simeon was in the Spirit when Mary and Joseph brought in the child Jesus, and it seems he did not even wait for the parents to do what brought them all the way from Nazareth to Jerusalem before he took the child into his arms and began to bless God and say:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory of  your people Israel.” 

Friends, in the words of his prayers, Simeon, presents Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike. He also presents him to all the people of the world. In his prayer, Simeon testifies that what he has seen will bring light to Gentiles and glory to Israel. The child is a manifestation of the glory of God and a visible sign of God’s saving presence. However, shortly after those joyful words, Simeon turns to Mary and foretells of a future sorrow: 

“Behold this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and a sign that will be contradicted— and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 

In those words, the holy man, Simeon, speaks about the fierce opposition that Jesus will face. He tells the child’s mother that the grief she will undergo will be so great that it will pierce her very being. As if to soothe Simeon’s prophecy, prophetess Anna walks in and begins to thank God and speaks to all who have been waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem about the child. After Mary and Joseph had fulfilled the prescriptions of the Law of the Lord, they returned to their own town of Nazareth in Galilee where Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” 

Mary and Joseph understood that their baby, Jesus, had to be brought to the Temple, not to be redeemed like every other male child that opens the womb, but to be offered to God as a true sacrifice. It was in the process of offering her Son to God that Mary learned that she too will share closely in Jesus’ redemptive mission. She learned that her fate and that of her son are tied together. The good news is that this Jesus is also presented to us as our Savior and salvation. He is the Light of the world, the manifestation of the glory of God, and the visible sign of God’s saving presence. He is God in the flesh, Yahweh moving among his people. He is the Lamb of God who would redeem all people from their sins.