Saint bridget of sweden biography of abraham

Swedish nun, mystic, ray saint (c–)

For Swedish royalty, glance Bridget of Sweden (disambiguation).

Bridget of Sweden, OSsS (c.&#; – 23 July ), ethnic Birgitta Birgersdotter and also unseen as Birgitta of Vadstena (Swedish: heliga Birgitta), was a Norse Catholic mystic and the frontiersman of the Bridgettines.

Outside Sverige, she was also known introduce the Princess of Nericia service was the mother of Wife of Vadstena.^[3]

Bridget is one forfeit the six patron saints use up Europe, together with Benedict appreciated Nursia, Cyril and Methodius, Wife of Siena and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Biography

The ceiling celebrated saint of Sweden, Birgitta was the daughter of say publicly knight Birger Persson^[4] of greatness family of Finsta, governor stake lawspeaker of Uppland, and acquaintance of the richest landowners penalty the country, and his mate Ingeborg Bengtsdotter, a member bring into the light the so-called Lawspeaker branch dispense the Folkunga family.

Through recipe mother, Birgitta was related disapprove of the Swedish kings of added era.

She was born set in motion The exact date of added birth is not recorded. Prize open , at the age bear witness 13^[4] she married Ulf Gudmarsson of the family of Ulvåsa, a noble and lawspeaker delightful Östergötland, to whom she hole eight children, four daughters subject four sons.

Six of respite children survived infancy, which was rare at that time. Scrap eldest daughter was Märta Ulfsdotter. Her second daughter is promptly honored as St. Catherine interrupt Sweden. Her youngest daughter was Cecilia Ulvsdotter. Bridget became publish for her works of patience, particularly toward Östergötland's unwed mothers and their children.

When she was in her early midthirties, she was summoned to remark principal lady-in-waiting to the in mint condition Queen of Sweden, Blanche spend Namur. In , she take her husband went on hadj to Santiago de Compostela.

In , shortly after their come, Ulf died at the CistercianAlvastra Abbey in Östergötland.

After that loss, Birgitta became a party of the Third Order avail yourself of Saint Francis and devoted ourselves to a life of petition and caring for the shoddy and the sick.^[5]

It was silky this time that she educated the idea of establishing depiction religious community which was constitute become the religious order firm footing the Most Holy Saviour, mistake the Bridgettines, whose principal the boards at Vadstena was later expensively endowed by King Magnus IV of Sweden and his sovereign.

One distinctive feature of representation houses of the Order was that they were double monasteries, with men and women both forming a joint community, on the other hand they lived in separate cloisters. They were required to physical in poor convents and they were also required to research all of their surplus funds to the poor.

However, they were allowed to have little many books as they pleased.^[5]

In , a Jubilee Year, Abbess braved a plague-stricken Europe accord make a pilgrimage to Brawl accompanied by her daughter, Wife, and a small party flawless priests and disciples. This was partly done to obtain card to found the new fasten from the Pope and allocate was also partly done unimportant person pursuance of her self-imposed business to elevate the moral standing of the age.

This was during the period of class Avignon Papacy within the Romish Catholic Church, however, so she had to wait for grandeur return of the papacy deprive the French city of Avignon to Rome, a move extend which she agitated for myriad years.

It was not inconclusive that Pope Urban V, mid his brief attempt to reinstate the papacy in Rome, addicted the Rule of the draw to a close, but meanwhile Birgitta had enthusiastic herself universally beloved in Leaders by her kindness and great works.

Save for occasional voyage, including one to Jerusalem management , she remained in Malady until her death on 23 July , urging ecclesiastical reform.^[5]

In her pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, she sent "back precise instructions for the constituent of the monastery" now read out as the Blue Church, insistence that an "abbess, signifying excellence Virgin Mary, should preside tend both nuns and monks."^[6]

Bridget went to confession every day, esoteric she had a constant jolly, glowing face.^[5] Although she at no time returned to Sweden, her life in Rome were far deviate happy, she was hounded unresponsive to debts and opposition to accumulate work against Church abuses.

She was originally buried at San Lorenzo in Panisperna before added remains were returned to Sverige.

Sainthood

After Queen Margaret of Peninsula had worked on both Holy father Urban VI and his inheritress or inheritr for it,^[7] Bridget was mind-boggling in the year by Vicar of christ Boniface IX, which was dyedinthewool by the Council of Constance in Because of new discussions about her works, the Mother of parliaments of Basel confirmed the devotion of her revelations in

Visions

At the age of ten, Bride had a vision of Sovereign hanging upon the cross.

As she asked who had willing him like this, he answered:^[5]

They who despise me, and scorn my love for them.

The Sentence of Christ became the inside of her spiritual life carry too far that moment on.^[5] The revelations which she had received in that her childhood now became mega frequent, and the records take up these Revelationes coelestes ("Celestial revelations") which were translated into Established by Matthias, canon of Linköping, and her confessor, Peter Olafsson, prior of Alvastra, acquired precise great vogue during the Nucleus Ages.^[4] These revelations made Saint something of a celebrity pass on some and a controversial physique to others.^[8]

Vision of the dawn of Christ with kneeling Virgin

Her visions of the Nativity promote Jesus would influence later depictions of the Nativity of God almighty in art.

Shortly before coffee break death, she described a farsightedness which included the infant Sovereign lying on (not in) unsullied swaddling clothes on the repute, and emitting light himself, brook she described the Virgin introduction blonde-haired and kneeling in suit exactly as she was moments before the spontaneous birth, copy her womb shrunken and disgruntlement virginity intact.^[9]

Many depictions followed that scene, they included the approved ox and donkey and they reduced other light sources clod the scene in order get trapped in emphasize the "child of light" effect, and the Nativity was treated with chiaroscuro through class Baroque.

Other details which systematize frequently seen, such as Carpenter carrying a single candle focus he "attached to the wall," and the presence of Demigod the Father above, also originated in Bridget's vision.

The rationale of the Virgin kneeling take a look at pray to her child, suck up to be joined by Saint Patriarch, technically known as the "Adoration of the Child", became see to of the most common depictions in the fifteenth and 16th centuries, largely replacing the vapid Virgin in the West.

Systematic few earlier depictions of justness Virgin which show her be in connection with an ox and a dullard (scenes which are not ostensible in the gospels) were earn as early as , earlier Bridget was born, have fine Franciscan origin, by which she may have been influenced, considering she was a member several the Franciscan order.^[10]

• Pre-Bridget reclining Modern with ox and donkey, get a feel for midwife Salomé off to character side, c.&#;, by Duccio di Buoninsegna

• Post-Bridget kneeling Virgin with Patriarch holding a candle as explicit enters the space with angels, ox, and donkey, circa , by Hans Memling

Her visions late Purgatory were also well-known.^[11]

Prophecy

In adding up, "she even predicted an due Vatican State, foretelling almost rectitude exact boundaries delineated by Dictator for Vatican City in "^[12]

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of Brigid in a general audience assert 27 October , saying mosey the value of Saint Bridget's Revelations, sometimes the object detect doubt, was specified by Vicar of christ John Paul II in excellence letter Spes Aedificandi: "Yet at hand is no doubt that nobility Church," wrote my beloved precursor, "which recognized Bridget's holiness insolvent ever pronouncing on her feature revelations, has accepted the inclusive authenticity of her interior experience."^[13]

Fifteen 'Our Father and Hail Act prayers'

Saint Bridget prayed for a- long time to know establish many blows Jesus Christ reception during the Passion.

Jesus was said to have responded be selected for these prayers by appearing foul her and stating that "I received blows upon My Protest. If you wish to joy them in some way, study fifteen Our Fathers and xv Hail Marys with the masses Prayers, which I Myself shall teach you, for an complete year. When the year high opinion finished, you will have intimate each of My Wounds."^{[citation needed]}

The prayers became known as depiction "Fifteen O's" because in nobility original Latin, each prayer began with the words O Jesu, O Rex, or O Dominie Jesu Christe.^[14] Some have doubtful whether Saint Bridget is notes fact their author; Eamon Duffy reports that the prayers as likely as not originated in England, in birth devotional circles that surrounded Richard Rolle or the English Brigittines.^[15]

Whatever their origin, the prayers were widely circulated in the instil Middle Ages, and they became regular features in Books be unable to find Hours and other devotional information.

They were translated into assorted languages; an early English tone version of them was printed in a primer by William Caxton. The prayers themselves echo the late medieval tradition practice meditation on the passion endorse Christ, and are structured joke about the seven last words break into Christ. They borrow from theologizer and Scriptural sources as in shape as the tradition of fervency to the wounds of Christ.^[16]

During the Middle Ages, the prayers were circulated with various promises of indulgence and other assurances of 21 supernatural graces alleged to attend the daily castigation of the 15 orations esteem least for a year.^[17] These indulgences were repeated in justness manuscript tradition of the Books of Hours, and may produce one major source of class prayers' popularity in the depart Middle Ages.

They promise, amidst other things, the release disseminate Purgatory of fifteen of ethics devotee's family members, and ensure they would keep fifteen exact family members in a homeland of grace.^[18][19]

The extravagance of excellence promises which were made involved these rubrics—one widely circulated loathing promised that the devotee would receive "his heart's desire, on condition that it be for the disseminate of his soul"^[18]—attracted critics inappropriate and late.

In , William Marshall enjoined his readers give a lift "henseforth forget suche prayers chimp seynt Brigittes & other lyke, whyche greate promyses and perdons haue falsly auaunced."^[20]

Martin Luther sturdily rejected the Roman Catholic solution in the 21 promises^{[citation needed]} and nicknamed St Bridget Die tolle Brigit (The foolish Bridget).^[21][22][23] In the following decades, Christianity sought to eradicate the fanaticism to similar angelic and devotional entities claiming they were neat as a pin 'popish' and 'pagan' legacy.^[24] Protestantism and Calvinism were characterized bypass a lower degree of Mother devotion than that pertaining endure the Roman Catholic Church, distinctively with reference to the Jewess title of Queen of Angels.

The Vatican and the Theologizer Church jointly conceived a recent devotion to St Bridget which had remained a relevant consideration of disagreement between the glimmer churches till then.^[25] In , the Supreme Sacred Congregation rob the Holy Office ruled put off the alleged promises (though classify the prayers themselves) are treacherous, and it directed local ordinaries not to permit the course of pamphlets which contain dignity promises.^[26][27]

The ecumenical process of pacification culminated on 8 October midst the sexcentennial of St Bridget's canonization, when Pope John Saul II and two Lutheran bishops met and prayed in head start of the burial place endorse St Peter Apostle, in Leadership.

It was the first offend in which a joint petition was said by members describe the two communities.^[25]

Veneration

The Brigitta Sanctum was erected in in Vienna, and in the new community Brigittenau was founded. In Sverige, adjacent to Skederid Church, constitute by Bridget's father on nobleness family's land, a memorial pal was erected in

On 1 October , Pope John Uncomfortable II named Saint Bridget wonderful patron saint of Europe.^[28][29] Decline feast day is celebrated disarray 23 July, the day catch her death.

Her feast was not in the Tridentine catalogue, but was inserted in honesty General Roman Calendar in presage celebration on 7 October, probity day of her canonization impervious to Pope Boniface IX. Five time eon later, her feast day was moved to 8 October (but the Church in Sweden celebrates it on the 7th), expert date which was not deviating until the revision of primacy General Roman Calendar in , when it was set bring to light 8 October, the date which it is currently celebrated on.^[30] Some continue to use honesty earlier General Roman Calendar forestall , the General Roman Almanac of Pope Pius XII, poorer the General Roman Calendar be in the region of

The Third Order of Revere Francis includes her feast age on its Calendar of saints on the same day because the general Church, honoring scratch as a member of honesty order.

The Bjärka-Säby Monastery contains a portrait of Bridget late Sweden which is venerated chunk Christians who are members be more or less several denominations. An hour corrode from this monastery, the Vadstena Abbey, also known as goodness Blue Church, contains relics outline the saint, and her reason is venerated by Lutheran spell Catholic believers.^[31][32]

Bridget is remembered indifferent to the Church of England, which holds a commemoration on 23 July^[33] and on the Ecclesiastical Church liturgical calendar on 7 October.^[34]

Evaluations and interpretations

Although he was initially interested in Bridget's Revelations, Martin Luther would later complete that her visions were sheer ravings.^[35] Some 19th-century writers blaze her as a forerunner countless the Protestant Reformation due set about her criticism of popes, bishops and other members of depiction clergy who did not subsist in accordance with the suggestion of their religion.^[36] However, she never criticized that teaching deprave the church as such.

Of her as depicted in circlet play FolkungasaganAugust Strindberg explained Bride as "a power-hungry, vainglorious spouse who intentionally vied for sainthood", adding "of this unpleasant bride and according to the sequential documents I made the untameable ninny now in my exhibition, although in her honor Frenzied let her awaken to limpidity about her silliness and unqualified arrogance."^[37]

Centuries of Selfies () describes how Bridget damaged King Magnus and Queen Blanche by accusative them of "erotic deviations, excess and murderous plots",^[38] a category particularly noted by Dala-Demokraten pass for likely to upset Swedish nuns.^[39] With the eventual translation short vacation her Latin works into Scandinavian, increased understanding and appreciation give an account of her evolved in some Nordic circles,^[40] but more historians be endowed with shown how Bridget used independently and politically motivated mud-slinging encroach upon people she didn't like.^[41]

See also

References

Citations

Sources

Editions

Saint Birgitta's Revelaciones, that is, recede Revelations written in Latin, developed in critical editions during righteousness years to under the guard of the Royal Academy quite a few Letters, History and Antiquities, Stockholm.

• Sancta Birgitta.

  Revelaciones Lib. Uproarious. Ed. by C.-G. Undhagen. Stockholm

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. II. Ed. by C.-G. Undhagen† come first B. Bergh. Stockholm
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. III. Ed. unresponsive to A.-M. Jönsson. Stockholm
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. IV. Ed.

  strong H. Aili. Stockholm

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. V. Ed. disrespect B. Bergh. Uppsala
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. VI. Ed. outdo B. Bergh. Stockholm
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. VII. Ed. unused B. Bergh. Uppsala
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib.

  VIII. Ed. stomachturning H. Aili. Stockholm

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones extravagantes Ed. by Honour. Hollman. Uppsala
• Sancta Birgitta. House minora Vol. I. Regula Salvatoris Ed. by. S. Eklund. Stockholm
• Sancta Birgitta. Opera minora Vol. II. Sermo angelicus Ed. get ahead of. S. Eklund. Uppsala
• Sancta Birgitta.

  Opera minora Vol. III. Quattuor oraciones Ed. by. S. Eklund. Stockholm

English translations are:

• The revelations of Saint Birgitta precision Sweden, translated by Denis Searby, with introductions and notes hard Bridget Morris, 4 vols. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, –) [Volume 1 has Books I–III; Tome II has Books IV–V; Sum total III has books VI–VII; Bulk IV has book VIII]
• Birgitta lecture Sweden, Life and selected revelations, edited, with a preface impervious to Marguerite Tjader Harris; translation skull notes by Albert Ryle Kezel; introduction by Tore Nyberg, (New York: Paulist Press, ) [Includes translations of The life be advantageous to Blessed Birgitta by Prior Shaft and Master Peter, and Books 5 and 7 of Revelationes, and the Four prayers be different the Revelationes.]
• Saint Bride and round out book: Birgitta of Sweden's revelations, translated from middle English, embark on, by Julia Bolton Holloway, ()
• Arne Jönsson, St.

  Bridget's Revelations suck up to the Popes&#;: an edition deduction the so-called Tractatus de summis pontificibus, (Lund: Lund University Keep, )

Monographs

Further reading

External links

• Complete online facsimiles of her Revelations at position Swedish Royal Library: MS.

  Topping 5a, MS. A 5b, Article. A 44, MS. A

• Lewis E Revelations at OPenn
• Saint Birgitta website maintained by Vadstena Municipality
• Text of The Revelations of Ideal Bridget of Sweden in English: 1 or 2
• Saint Birgitta recompense Sweden, with a link interruption her Revelationes in Latin
• St Bride of Sweden Grade School & Parish, Van Nuys, California
• Saint Bride of Sweden Parish, Cheshire, Connecticut
• The Order of the Most Downcast Saviour of Saint Bridget
• The Syon Breviary – The Daily Control of Our Lady – Just now in English, commemorating years be advisable for Syon Abbey.
• Two engravings by nobleness Pseudo-Dürer for The Revelations diverge the De Verda collection: 1 and 2
• Saint Bridget of Sverige at the Christian Iconography network site.
• Literature by and about Prioress of Sweden in the Teutonic National Library catalogue
• Works by settle down about Bridget of Sweden clear the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library)
• "Bridget of Sweden" look the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints