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St. Bridget was united in marriage to Ulf Gudmarsson when she was only 13 years old. He was 18 and initially lukewarm in his Catholic faith.
She possessed a passionate love of Jesus Christ, a love that was contagious -- and influenced Ulf in a positive way.
The two together adopted the Rule of the Franciscan Tertiaries and did what they could to feed and clothe the poor. Ulf died after having gone on a pilgrimage with St. Bridget to Santiago de Compostella.
By the time Ulf passed away, they had been married for 28 years and he was even drawn to religious life, frequently going to a Cistercian monastery.
Authentic "conjugal spirituality"
Pope Benedict XVI pointed to St. Bridget's marriage as a beacon of light that can speak to the modern world. He explained his thoughts in a general audience in 2010:
This first period of Bridget's life helps us to appreciate what today we could describe as an authentic “conjugal spirituality”: together, Christian spouses can make a journey of holiness sustained by the grace of the sacrament of Marriage.
He then held up St. Bridget as a prime example of how a wife can positively influence her husband:
It is often the woman, as happened in the life of St. Bridget and Ulf, who with her religious sensitivity, delicacy and gentleness succeeds in persuading her husband to follow a path of faith.
Pope Benedict XVI praised modern-day wives who strive to do the same, praying that spouses will follow the example of St. Bridget and Ulf in growing together towards Jesus Christ:
I am thinking with gratitude of the many women who, day after day, illuminate their families with their witness of Christian life, in our time too. May the Lord's Spirit still inspire holiness in Christian spouses today, to show the world the beauty of marriage lived in accordance with the Gospel values: love, tenderness, reciprocal help, fruitfulness in begetting and in raising children, openness and solidarity to the world and participation in the life of the Church.
Many young people in today's world want a faith-filled marriage, but one of the spouses is not on the same page. This can be difficult and may seem like an insurmountable hurdle.
However, St. Bridget shows that it is possible to grow together in the Christian faith, through a gentle witness.
St. Bridget and Ulf are a beautiful example of a healthy marriage united by their love of Jesus Christ.
