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To the people: Are youresolved, with God’sassistance, to obey his lawsand those of his Church, andto lead blameless lives, likethe great St Brigid?All: We are.

Celebrant: Take the crosswith which the great StBrigid fought against herenemies – the world, theflesh and the devil – andremember to bear thecrosses of this life with trueChristian fortitude.

Remember the manyvictories gained by Brigidunder its protectinginfluence and bravely followher example.

Prayer over the peoplebefore the dismissal at theend of MassLove to thee, O Lord. Glory

and thanksgiving for this Eucharist andevery meal which you have ever given us!O Redeemer who has given us life, grantus eternal life in heaven! May we be seventimes better off at the end of the year inthe greatest graces and smallest sins!Give health of soul and body in people,and their cattle safe from accident, fromthe year’s hardship, from fever anddiseases. If the eternal Father seesanyone among us here present in doubt,may he counsel and guide them for ourgood, so that our souls may attain eternalglory; that he may keep the temptationsof the devil and the world from our heartsand our minds, and keep us in a state ofgrace so that our souls may attain eternalglory. Amen.

During Mass aer theLiturgy of the Word‘Anois teacht an Earraigh,beidh an lá ag dul chunsíneadh …’New life, new light in nature– it is appropriate thatBrigid’s feast be at this timeof year, she who was so closeto nature and to God’screatures.

We celebrate her festival bymaking St Brigid’s crossesfrom the green of nature,having them blessed andhung as a sign of and prayerfor her protection.

We celebrate with prayer andfeasting beginning on thiseve.

For the Celts, the night camebefore the day, so St Brigid’sfeast started at sunset theprevious evening. We madethe crosses, we have apple cake, bárínbreac, butter freshly churned.

Cake, or bread and butter, was le out forBrigid herself, for it was believed that shetravelled around that evening, blessingthe people and the livestock. A specialsheaf, too, was le out as a treat for thefamily cow.

BlessingFather of all creation and Lord of light,you have given us life and entrusted yourcreation to us to use and to care for it.

We ask you to bless these crosses madeof green rushes in memory of holy Brigid,who used such a cross to recall and to

Lá ’Le Bríde –Beannú na gCroiseanna

teach of your Son’s life, death andresurrection.

May these crosses be a sign of oursharing in the Paschal Mystery of yourSon and a sign of protection of our lives,our land and its creatures during thecoming year, and always; Through Brigid’s intercession, we ask thisthrough Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

The crosses are sprinkled with holy waterMay the blessing of God, Father, Son andHoly Spirit, be on this cross, on the placewhere it hangs and on everyone wholooks at it.Amen.

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San Aifreann, i ndiadg Liotúirge anBhriathairAnois teacht an Earraigh, beidh an lá ag dulchun síneadh …’Saol nua, solas an Earraigh sa nádúr - iscuí la ‘le Bhríde ag an am seo den bhliain.Bhí gaol ag Bríd leis an dúlra, idir dhaoine,ainmhithe agus planndaí. Beannaitearcroiseanna inniu agus muid ag ceiliúradhlá ‘le Bríde – croiseanna Bríde, deanta asglasra an nádúir.

Beannófar iad anois agus crocfar in airdeiad mar chomhartha, nó mar phaidir agiarraidh coimirce Bhríde.

Ceiliúraimid and Fhéile seo le nósannaspeisiálta, le fleá agusle féasta in onóir doBhríde Bheannaithe. Tosaíodh oíche aréir– mar i gcultúir na gCeilteach thosaigh anlá le dul faoi na gréine an tráthnónaroimhe. Tosaíodh le déanamh nagcoiseanna seo.

Oíche ‘le Bríde, bíonn rudaí deasa le hitheagainn – toitín úll, báirín breac, im úr. Isgnáthach císte, nó arán agus im (úr) aágáil amach do Bhríd í féin, margabhann sí thart an oíche sin ag beannúidir dhaoine agus ainmhithe. Fágtarpunann speisiálta (coirce) amach marchineáltas don bhó.

BeannachtA Athair na nDúl, a Thiarna an tsolais, istú a thug beatha dúinn agus a bhronn anchruinne mhór orainn lena úsáid aguslena chaomhnú.

tionnchur chosantúil agus bí cróga agsulean a heisiomlarsan.

Urnai os cionn na ndaoineDíograis duit, a Thiarna. Glóir, altú agusbuíochas duit ar son an Aifrinn (nahEocairiste) seo agus ar son gach coda athug tú ariamh dúinn.

A Shlánaitheoir a thug a bheatha dúinn,go dtuga tú an bheatha siorraí ins naFlaithis dúinn!

Gura seacht fearr i gcionn na bliana abhéas muid, ins na grásta is mó agus insna peacaí is lú!

Sláinte anama is coirp sna daoine. Goraibh a n-eallach slán ar thubaiste, arsheirbhís na bliana, ar iabhras nó araicideacha, agus go speisialta ná raibhaon rud inár mbealach a choinneodh anghlóir shíorraí de dhola ar ár n-anamacha.Má eiceann an tAthair Síorraí aon duineagainn anseo i láthair idir dháchomhairle, go gcuire sé i gcomhairleagus i gcasán ár leasa sinn fa choinne árn-anamacha chun na glóire siorraí, lecathaithe an Diabhail agus an tSaoilshalagh ghránna a choinneáil ar stáid nagrásta fa choinne ár n-anam chun naglóire siorrai. Amen.

Some of this material comes from The Year inIreland by Kevin Danaher. Blessing approved bythe National Centre for Liturgy.

Iarriamid ort do bheannacht a bhronnadhar na croiseanna seo a rinneadh in onóirdo Bhríd naofa. Bhain sise úsáid as aleithéid seo de chrois mar chuimhniú arpháis, ar bháis, agus ar aiséirí do Mhicagus í a múineadh sin do mhuintir a linne.

Go raibh na croiseanna seo mar thuar arár bpáirteachas i rúndiamhar Cásca doMhic agus, trí eadarghuí Bhríde, marchomhartha ar do choimirce dármbeatha, dár gcuid talaimh agus dábhfuil ann de dhúile beo, i gcaitheamh nabliana seo agus i gcónai.Tré Chriost árdTiarna. Amen.

Croitheann an Sagart uisce coiscrithe ar nacroiseannaGo dtaga beannacht Dé, Athar, Mhic agusSpioraid Naoimh, anuas ar na croiseannaseo, ar an áit ina mbeidh siad ar crocadhagus ar ghach éinne a éachann orthu.Amen.

Leis na daoine: An bhfuil sé beartaitheagaibh, le cuidiú Dé, bheith umhal dá dhlíagus do dhlí na heaglaise, agus bhur saola chaitheamh go hionraic, mar a rinneBríd bheannaithe?Pobal: Tá.

Sagart: Tóg an chrois lenar throid Brídnaofa in aghaidh a naimhde – an saol, ancholainn agus an diabhal – aguscuimhnigh ar chroiseanna na beatha aiompar le neart fíor-Chriostaí. Cuimhnighar na buanna go léir a bhí ag Bríd faoina

Sr Máiréad Ní FhearáinArmagh Diocese

Illustration: Norm

a Prause-Brewer, G

row in Love, Veritas

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