St. Bridget of Sweden received numerous private revelations from Jesus, which contain a wealth of spiritual truths.
Most often associated with the "15 Prayers of St. Bridget," St. Bridget of Sweden was reportedly the recipient of numerous private revelations from Jesus himself.
These messages from Jesus were compiled into a book simply called Revelations, which contains a wide variety of spiritual lessons that we can learn from today.
While many of these messages were directed to various circumstances during her lifetime, there are a great deal that can speak to us in the modern world.
St. John Paul II affirmed the value of these messages in his apostolic letter Spes Aedificandi:
[T]here is no doubt that the Church, which recognized Bridget's holiness without ever pronouncing on her individual revelations, has accepted the overall authenticity of her interior experience. She stands as an important witness to the place reserved in the Church for a charism lived in complete docility to the Spirit of God and in full accord with the demands of ecclesial communion.
Jesus' tender love for you
One particular message that Pope Benedict XVI signaled out in a general audience in 2010 was about Jesus' intense love for each one of us:
O my friends, I love my sheep so tenderly that were it possible, I would die many other times for each one of them that same death I suffered for the redemption of all.
Jesus spoke these words to St. Bridget of Sweden over 700 years ago, but they are still true today.
Sometimes we don't dwell enough on God's tender love for us. Ask yourself right now how often you think and meditate on God's love.
Too often we forget how much God loves us and that he suffered on the cross for each one of us. If he could do it again, even just for you, he would do it.
Pause for a moment and really let that sink in.
Jesus also said to St. Bridget, "My Daughter, I have chosen you for myself, love me with all your heart ... more than all that exists in the world."
Not only does God love us, but he asks us to love him in return, with our whole heart, mind, and soul. The good news is that he gives us the grace to give him that love through the Holy Spirit. God knocks at the door of our heart and it's up to us to let him in. When we do that, we can embrace him and allow ourselves to be swept up in that return of love.
While what Jesus told St. Bridget may not be a new message, it's a message we all need to hear, again, and again, and again.
