Threaders of Saint Brigid: Untying the Knots of Life
Why Threaders? Because we began meeting every Friday evening during Lent, 2006 to
knit or crochet prayer shawls. Prayer shawls because they warm the maker through
fellowship and meditative prayer and hopefully enwrap the receiver with bountiful
blessings of warmth and care. Members include parishioners from St. Stephen and the
Incarnation and St. George’s Episcopal Churches.
And why Saint Brigid? Born in Ireland in 453, Brigid was the gutsy daughter of a pagan
king and a Christian slave, who was sold to a Druid before her daughter was born. Brigid
could not bear to see anyone hungry or cold, so she gave away her father’s – the King’s –
possessions, saying “Christ dwelt in every creature.” Banished to the Druid’s dairy, Brigid
then gave away most of the produce. To make a long story not quite so long, when she
took her final vows to become a nun, Saint Patrick mistakenly used the form for ordaining
priests. When told of it he replied, “So be it; she is destined for great things.”
Now we meet year round every Monday evening at Jane Bishop’s, Senior Warden of St.
Stephen’s, where we eat a pot luck dinner, talk over the week, sort out the church, and
pool our strengths and weaknesses, joys and sorrows, for the energy and good faith to
greet another week or so. And we are always open for more gutsy people. Below you will
find prayers that help to sustain us.
Some of the prayer shawls knitted by the Threaders
Table Grace from St. Brigid’s Monastery, Kildare
I should like a great lake of finest ale for all the people.
I should like a table of the choicest foods for the family of heaven.
Let the ale be made from the fruits of faith, and the food be for giving love.
I should welcome the poor to my feast, for they are God’s children.
I should welcome the sick to my feast for they are God’s joy.
Let the poor sit with Sophia at the highest place and the sick dance with the angels.
Bless the poor, bless the sick, bless our human race.
Bless our food, bless our drink, all homes, O God embrace. Amen.
St. Brigid’s Prayer for the Distressed
Almighty God, You are the One who understands
the frailty of the human heart, hear our prayers for
those who have been unfortunate in life and bruised
in spirit; those who have toiled without success. For
those who have endured with no outside
encouragement; those who have given up all earthly
prospects to comfort the aged and cared for the
maimed; those who are lonely in heart, and those
for whom we do not know what to ask, but you
know, O Lover of Souls. Amen.
St. Brigid’s Prayer for Healing
God of all comfort, our very present help in trouble:
be near to your servant for whom our prayers are
offered. Look on your servant with the eyes of your
mercy; comfort your servant with a sense of your
presence; preserve your servant from the enemy;
and give your servant patience with this affliction.
Restore your servant to health, and lead your servant
to your eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our
Redeemer. Amen.