She is known as the patron saint of beer. A leper colony supposedly ran out of beer and turned to Brigid of Kildare (452-524) for divine assistance. To be found without beer was nothing short of calamitous since the water was polluted and unsafe to drink. Brigid reportedly turned dirty bath water into an excellent brand of beer which explains why some craft beers nowadays include her likeness on the label. One prayer attributed to her expressed her desire for a “great lake of beer for the King of Kings.” I tell you; you can’t make this stuff up!
Brigid and her family were introduced to the Christian faith by Patrick, a fifth century missionary to Celts living in Ireland. Their ancestors were part of a massive Celtic migration from Central Europe to Ireland five hundred years before Christ. Patrick reportedly baptized Brigid’s father and was instrumental in her faith development also. She came to saving faith in Christ at age thirteen and devoted her life to loving God and serving the poor. She and seven like-minded friends founded the Kildare Abbey in Ireland for nuns and monks. Brigid spoke often about the importance of soul friends, people with whom we can share our deepest spiritual concerns. She said, “A person without a soul friend is like a body without a head.” We need spiritual friends to keep us centered and growing in Christ.
Thanks to believers like Patrick and Brigid, a vital Christian spirituality has been the enduring legacy of Celtic Christians. The following is an anonymous Celtic prayer from the 10th century. The Celts often prayed circle prayers of protection for Christ’s security near us, within us, around us, before us, behind us, and above us: