Bridget, Wife, Mother and Religious

Saint Bridget lived in Sweden and was born to a royal family there. She had many visions throughout her lifetime. She and her husband had eight children whom they raised with love and faith. Early on, the couple became heavily involved in charitable work and brought their children up to maintain a sense of humility and obligation. She once wrote a candid letter to Pope Clement VI urging him to bring peace between Edward III of England and Philip IV of France and spelling out the consequences to the kings of a failure to achieve peace. When the pope’s lukewarm effort fell short, the results which Bridget foretold occurred. She continued to criticize Church and public leaders and she spared no one—rulers, popes, priests, or people—in her criticisms when their transgressions and the punishments they would merit. She cared for the poor and regularly fed pilgrims from Sweden who visited Rome. She was, in the words of a companion, “kind and meek to every creature, and had a laughing face.”

In response to her visions, Bridget criticized some very important people during her lifetime. Not trusting solely to her own judgment, however, she first checked with her confessor or pastor before judging others. When we feel compelled to scold someone, we may not always be so prudent.