St. Brigid's Lake of Beer

ARTIST: Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS

ARTWORK NARRATIVE:

One of my favorite poem prayers from the old days is about Saint Brigid’s vision of heaven as a great lake of beer and the eternal hospitality all people experience there. I would like a great lake of beer For the King of Kings. I would like to be watching heaven’s family drinking it through all eternity.
—Br. Mickey McGrath

Her feast day is February 01.

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St. Brigid envisions heaven as being a place of infinite hospitality and pleasure in which people join with saints and even God drinking good health throughout eternity.

I should like a great lake of beer to give to God.

I should like the angels of Heaven to be tippling there for all eternity.

I should like the men of Heaven to live with me, to dance and sing.

If they wanted I'd put at their disposal vats of suffering

White cups of love I'd give them with a heart and a half.

Sweet pitchers of mercy I'd offer to every man.

I'd make heaven a cheerful spot,

Because the happy heart is true.

I'd make men happy for their own sakes.

I should like Jesus to be there too.

I'd like the people of heaven to gather from all the parishes around.

I'd give a special welcome to the women,

the three Marys of great renown.

I'd sit with the men, the women of God,

There by the great lake of beer

We'd be drinking good health forever,

And every drop would be a prayer.

(10th century Poem attributed to Brigid herself)

Born: 450 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland

Died: February 1, 525 at Kildare, Ireland of natural causes; buried in Downpatrick, Ireland with St. Patrick and St. Columba; head removed to Jesuit church in Lisbon, Portugal

Name Meaning: Fiery arrow (= brigid)

Also known as: Bride; Bride of the Isles; Bridget of Ireland; Bridget; Brigid of Kildare Brigit; Ffraid; Mary of the Gael

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