Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): July 23
III Class (1962 Calendar): October 8
Double (1954 Calendar): October 8
St. Bridget of Sweden was a member of the Franciscan Third Order for laypeople and was born 1303 and died July 23, 1373. Her mother was Birger Persson, governor and provincial judge (Lagman) of Uppland, and of Ingeborg Bengtsdotter, and her father was extremely affluent too. While St. Bridget was still unborn, her mother was saved from shipwreck for Bridget's sake.
St. Bridget received careful religious education and while seven years old, she displayed remarkable illuminations. At the age of 10, St. Brigid listened to a homily on Our Lord's passion. The next night she saw Jesus on the Cross covered with blood, and He spoke to her. This is one of her first visions from Jesus that she was privileged to receive throughout her life. St. Bridget could never speak of the Passion of Our Lord without tears.
In 1315 her mother died, so St. Bridget was cared for by her aunt. At the age of 13, she married Ulfo Gudmarsson, a prince of Nericia, and they had eight children, one of whom was St. Catherine of Sweden. Her husband was a very pious man. Over the years St. Bridget continued to grow in holiness and was soon well known far and wide. She educated children and cared for the poor and sick. St. Bridget even set apart a house for their reception. In an act of humility that we all can learn from, St. Bridget would wash their feet and even kiss them. Her humility recalls the humility of Jesus in washing the disciples feet.
In the early 1340's, Ulfo and Bridget journeyed to Compostella to visit the tomb of the apostle St. James, but during the journey her husband became gravely ill. St. Dionysius appeared to St. Bridget at night and foretold his recovery and other future events. Ulfo became a Cistercian monk. However, Ulfo soon became ill and died in 1344 in the Cistercian monastery of Alvastrâ.
After this, St. Bridget heard Christ calling her in a dream to live more austere life, so she devoted herself entirely to Christ. She founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior; she erected a double monastery for monks and nuns at Vadstena. Nearly the rest of her life was lived in Rome where she worked for the return of the Popes from Avignon. Upon her return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, St. Bridget was struck by a fever and suffered from illness for a whole year. She died on July 23, 1373. Our Lord revealed the date of her death to her in a previous vision.
St. Bridget received many visions from Our Lord during her life. In one of these appearances, He revealed a set of prayers that would honor His injuries during the Crucifixion. The Lord said to her: "I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers (which He taught her) for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My Wounds."
Promises
According to a publication that was published about the prayers, Our Lord made 21 promises to St. Bridget that He said apply to the one who recites the 15 prayer for a whole year.
However, some of them may be against Church teachings. So, please don't say these prayers just for the promises. Say them to honor Our Lord's sufferings.
1. I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from Purgatory.
2. 15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace.
3. 15 sinners of his lineage will be converted.
4. Whoever recites these Prayers will attain the first degree of perfection.
5. 15 days before his death I will give him My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation; I will give him My Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally.
6.15 days before his death he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them.
7.I will place before him the sign of MY Victorious Cross for his help and defense against the attack!
8. Before his death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother.
9. I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead it into eternal joys.
10. And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not for those who have not recited My Prayers.
11. Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, the Lord will forgive him all his sins.
12. I shall protect him from strong temptations.
13. I shall preserve and guard his 5 senses.
14. I shall preserve him from a sudden death.
15. His soul will be delivered from eternal death.
16. He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin.
17. If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged.
18. Every time one recites these Prayers he gains 100 days indulgence.
19. He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels.
20. Whoever teaches these Prayers to another, will have continuous joy and merit which will endure eternally.
21. There where these Prayers are being said or will be said in the future God is present with His grace.
Private Revelation
Like all private revelation since the death of the Last of the Apsotles, these visions and promises do not have to be believed by anyone. The Church, in her authority, declares them worthy of belief, but a Catholic does not have to believe them in order to remain a Catholic.
Pope Benedict XV said:
"The approbation of such revelations implies nothing more than, after mature examination, it is permissible to publish them for the unit of the faithful. Though they don't merit the same credence as the truths of religion, one can, however, believe them out of human faith, conforming to the rules of prudence by which they are probable, and supported by sufficient motives that one might believe in them piously."
O God, Thou didst raise Thy servant, N., to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, according to the Order of Melchisedech, giving him the sublime power to offer the Eternal Sacrifice, to bring the Body and Blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ down upon the altar, and to absolve the sins of men in Thine own Holy Name. We beseech Thee to reward his faithfulness and to forget his faults, admitting him speedily into Thy Holy Presence, there to enjoy forever the recompense of his labors. This we ask through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
(The Gospel of James). It is not part of the Bible, but the document, which was written c. 170 AD gives insight into the life of Mary and her parents. Joachim was a prominent and respected man, however, he had no children, and he viewed this as a punishment from God. In an answer to his prayers, he and Anne, his wife, were given the daughter Mary, who was 
. It is a site of constant miracles. Cripples have entered the Shrine on crutches and left by walking through the door because they were completely healed. Another Shrine is Ste. Anne d'Auray in Britanny, France. There is also a church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, and the church is believed to have been built on the location where Sts. Joachim and Anne lived.
and remained popular in Christian art until the 
restricted the depiction of apocryphal events.
. It was added to the General Roman Calendar in 1584, for celebration on March 20, the day after the feast day of Saint Joseph. In 1738, it was transferred to the Sunday after the Octave of the Assumption of Mary. As part of his effort to allow the liturgy of Sundays to be celebrated, Pope Pius X transferred it to August 16, the day after the Assumption, so that Joachim may be remembered in the celebration of Mary's triumph. It was then celebrated as a Double of the 2nd Class, a rank that was changed in 1960 to that of 2nd Class Feast.
, which contains the complete Liturgy of the Hours. I have been praying the Liturgy of the Hours at Lauds (morning), Vespers (evening), and Compline (night) ever since I left the monastery. While at the monastery, I prayed with the monks at Lauds, daytime prayer, Mass, Vespers, and Compline. It was so beautiful to hear them chanting the Liturgy, equating to the best part of my experience there. And, it was so wonderful to see men in full habit walking around and bearing witness to the Faith of the Universal Church.
