May 8, 2024 ~ Wednesday, Week 6
That love of God is hard and marvelous.
It cannot and will not be broken
because of our sins.
Julian of Norwich*
*Julian of Norwich
[1342-1416], is celebrated on our Liturgical Calendar on this date. She was an English Anchoress in Norwich, England. She was a hermit of
her time when an anchor or an anchoress lived in a small cell attached
to a wall of the church, where she had a window into the sanctuary to
participate in daily Mass and receive Communion. Her life consisted of daily
devotions, prayer, devotional reading, and writing. She is considered to be one
of the most important mystics in all of Christianity. Her manuscript of Revelations
of Divine Love ~ also known as The Short Text ~ is thought to be the
oldest surviving book written in English by a woman. She is probably best known
for her words that with God, All shall be well, and all shall be well, and
all manner of things shall be well. And while that quote was my first
introduction to Julian, many years ago, for me, there are so very many quotes
of Julian that resonate within me, such as the one above, that it is very difficult
to choose one. Here are a few more that speak to me:
If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I
know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in
falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love.
Our Savior is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly born
and out of whom we shall
never come.
In every soul to be saved is a godly will that has
never consented to sin, in the past or in the future. Just as there is an
animal will in our lower nature that does not will what is good, so there is a
godly will in our higher part, which by its basic goodness never wills what is
evil, but only what is good.
Pray
inwardly, even if it seems to give you no pleasure. It
is bringing great benefit, even if you do not perceive it. Pray
inwardly, even if you sense nothing, see nothing, even
if you think you are achieving nothing. For
it is in dryness and emptiness, in sickness and weakness, that
our prayer pleases Christ most.
O Great Creator of
Me ~ My Nurturer, Comforter, and Soother,
Some days I
want too much from others and they want too much from me. While I’m certainly
certain that I try to meet the expectations of them, I often feel
that they leave
me alone in the dust of frustration, theirs and mine. I can easily dig
myself deeper and deeper into the ditch of resentment even though I know ~ deep
down ~ that, too often, I am not the accommodating person I like to think I am. Please
help me overcome at least some of my selfish diversions and turn me as close to
never-ending thanksgiving and praise as possible. Remind me often of
Julian’s words to pray inwardly, even if it…isn’t giving me any particular
pleasure, and even if I think I am achieving nothing. Just let me stop
often in each day to take a long slow deep breath in and on the breath
out just whisper a small quiet thank you for all that I have in this
life and for knowing, if not always believing in each crazy minute of a crazy
day or week or month, that Your love for me cannot and will not be broken
no matter what I do or do not do. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You…amen.
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