More on St Brigid and Celtic Christianity

Previous posts on the Celtic feast of St Brigid this week are here and here but I would like to add this fine one reproduced below from the Capuchin Franciscans of Ireland.

Bronze plaque by Egino Weinert from here.

 "St. Brigid lived during the Golden Age of the Celtic Irish Catholic Church. This period, from the 7th century AD, saw monasteries become social, spiritual and political centres.

They were often huge theocratic villages, associated with a clan, along with their slaves, freemen, celibate monks, married clergy, professed lay people, men and women, all living side by side and serving in various roles.  

In these times the monastic abbots were not necessarily ordained and, as is the case with St. Brigid, were often women.

These Celtic Christians took their spiritual life very seriously and sought to achieve a personal and organic union between themselves and God (a theosis); with God dwelling in them and they in Him. They saw the true Christian life as being lived in and with Christ.  

During these times the monasteries were universally esteemed and regarded as the utmost expression of the Christian life. Today, as we seek a renewed vision and approach to both the spiritual and the material world, we pray that we may recapture something of the essence of the deeply spiritual, holistic, ecologically sensitive, inclusive and egalitarian Church which St. Brigid knew and led.

Following her example, may we grow each day into greater wholeness of mind, body and spirit ! "

This is a lovely vision of church and one that speaks deeply to my heart, apart from the slaves. (!)

Slavery was very much a part of life in Judea, Galilee, and in the rest of the Roman Empire during New Testament times. The practice continued in England, Canada and the rest of the European age of Empire until the early 19th century; it continued in the U.S. until later in the 19th century.

Sex slavery is still a global industry so there is still a lot to do to free mankind from the yokes of slavery and there is slavery to a global economic system that has the world in chains and other kinds of slavery too. 

Anyone or anything that controls us owns us, and we can become slaves to them.

Some could be slaves to alcohol, money, lust, sex, pornography, smoking, sports, illegal drugs, social media, work, or fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are just some of things we can be controlled by.  We can also be a slave to people; our partners, family, friends.... there are many others that can be added.

Was it St Paul who wrote that he was a slave of Christ or was that servant? 
 but Paul also said "There is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!