Saint Brigid, Fair Jewel of Erin

We continue the series of posts in honour of the feast of Saint Brigid with another gem from Down Under. Signed W.W. of Sydney, this poem celebrates all of the traditional Christian virtues of Saint Brigid. Verse three emphasizes Saint Brigid as an exemplar of purity for Irish women, a message no longer in fashion in contemporary presentations of our patroness. This 1922 poem thus illustrates how differently Saint Brigid was perceived one hundred years ago:

SAINT BRIGID.
(February 1.)

Blessed Saint Brigid, fair jewel of Erin,
Perfect exemplar to shield us from
wrong;
Ardent to-day is the love of thy people,
Hallowed thy name through the centuries
long!

 

Forth from Kildare spread the fame of thy
virtue,
Reaching through Ireland from shore
unto shore,
Breathing a message of hope to the hope
less,
Spurring the fervent to love God the
more.

 

Bright is the light thou hast shed down
the ages,
Burning white splendour of purity's ray,
Pointing the path for the daughters of
Erin;
Brigid, oh, help their descendants to-day!

Sundered by sorrow, thy people have wandered,
Finding in Austral a refuge, a home
Bringing the light of the faith that they
cherished,
Teaching thy glory wherever they roam!
 

Dear to thy heart were those children of
Erin, 

Grant us a share in thy love, too, we
pray;
Swift in our veins runs the blood of our forebears;
Brigid, protect us and guide us alway!

 

W.W.

Sydney.

 

'SAINT BRIGID.', The Catholic Press, Thursday, 2 February, 1922, p. 18. 

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