The prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 years is well known. All her parishioners dedicate themselves to saying it for 12 consecutive years. In this article you will learn all about this prayer, which sets the standard for all devotees of the Virgin and Saint Bridget.
Steps to fulfil the prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 years
In order to fulfil the prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 years in the best possible way, it is essential to do it for 12 consecutive years. God, our Lord, will grant the years if the person dies and has not been able to finish in time. For the deceased, these years will be rewarded with ascension to heaven, as long as he/she acted in good faith on earth and achieved conversion from his/her sins.
Another important aspect is to pray to Saint Bridget for 12 years with as much faith as possible (see: Prayer of Faith). If your devotion to St Bridget is genuine, then there is no problem. The Supreme Pontiff, Clement XII, decreed that it was obligatory to pray this prayer during the prescribed period.
To make the atmosphere of the prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 years more conducive, a small altar with flowers and candles can be set up at the discretion of the speaker. The person who wishes to follow this ritual for 12 years can prepare a place of honour in an unoccupied room for the recitation of the prayer.
Promises to Saint Bridget
The promises to Saint Bridget are a kind of preamble or opening rite that opens the prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 years. These promises have a series of conditions or clauses that every devotee of the Virgin should know:
- Whoever prays to Saint Bridget for 12 years will not go to Purgatory. He will go straight to Paradise, as long as he has no stain of sin.
- The person who dies like any martyr and prays the prayer will be accepted immediately.
- The speaker can choose a maximum of three (a) persons for St Bridget’s protection at the end of the 12 years of prayer.
- All those in the line of descent from the person making the prayer will receive the full indulgence.
- The speaker will be aware of his or her own death at the moment of completing the prayer to St Bridget for 12 years.
Prayer to St Bridget for 12 years
The prayer to St Bridget for 12 years is very similar to a common novena, such as the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. It has the structure of an opening prayer, plus other prayers that come together to form a powerful prayer.
Opening prayer
O Lord Jesus, who shed your last tears for our salvation through martyrdom on the Holy Cross. These seven humble prayers are offered under your beautiful name and that of St Bridget. May Your pure and merciful heart turn to look at this prayer, full of optimism and true faith. May the will of both of you, whom I love and adore so much, be fulfilled.
Prayer 1: Circumcision
Heavenly Father and Immaculate Virgin, my holy Bridget. In your name I shed my first drops of blood, having been circumcised at the moment of my birth. O Eternal One, through this rite may every stain of sin be cleansed from my body. May circumcision be the means by which I can be saved from all vice, lies and evil. Amen.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer. It is also important to know the prayer of protection and healing from Psalm 91, because it helps to cleanse the soul and ask for permanent guardianship.
Prayer 2: The agony of Christ in the Garden of Olives
O Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, you who suffered humiliation in the Garden of Olives. In your name I ask you to turn your attention to my daily suffering. May every tear, every drop of water and every particle of blood shed by the Creator be my salvation. Save me from all the sins I may commit. Make me appreciate every stage of Christ’s suffering so that I may be a more compassionate person towards my neighbour. Amen.
To recite the Lord’s Prayer or, in the same way, to know the Angelus prayer, which is absolutely necessary to keep in mind at all times.
Prayer 3: The Flagellation
Almighty God, Creator of all that is around me. In the name of St Bridget, take as an offering every physical and emotional wound in my being. May the power of the thorns and the whip shed the blessed blood I offer in this prayer. Carnal sin is compensated by scourging. The pure soul is attained by a little mortification. Amen.
Recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer 4: Crowned with thorns
Sacred Heart of Jesus, intercede with the image of the Virgin Bridget that my shed blood may be like that of Christ with the crown of thorns. Blood given for our salvation. By this act we have been cleansed from sin, but he gave himself up to death as a sacrifice. Cleanse us from our sins so that we may be better Christians. Amen.
Say the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer 5: Jesus carrying the cross on his shoulders
O Almighty God, who watched in tears as Your Son went into the garden. I want you to be aware of my suffering, of my ordeal that is crushing me. I know the help I need to get through it. My suffering is less than that of Jesus, but it burns my soul from within. Blessed Virgin Mary, you who are a mother and suffer in pain, bless this prayer forever. Amen.
Recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer 6: Crucifixion of Jesus
Heavenly Father, I am well aware of the agony your Son endured until the moment of his death. May his death and resurrection lead me to the path of goodness, so that I may not fall into temptation. Saint Bridget, may you be blessed forever. I hope that your strength will be poured out on me, just as the blood of Christ flowed inch by inch over the cross on which he suffered. Amen.
Recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer 7: The Wounds of the Sacred Side
May each wound caused by the nails and the cross be a symbol of the purification of my sins. Beloved Saint Bridget, cleanse my body of every trace of sin. From the purgaorio I want to free myself by fulfilling many penances, to purify my being from every error that prevents me from reaching the arms of Christ. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer. Thus ends the prayer to Saint Bridget for 12 days.
