Thoughts for the Day
Saturday, 8th May 2021: Julian of Norwich
Light Jesus Matthew 5
Reading : Verses from Matthew, Chapter 5
Jesus said, 'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)
Thoughts
Julian of Norwich was born around 1342 (her name was in use for women and men) and in her thirties she became extremely ill. On her deathbed she experienced a series of fifteen visions concerning the suffering that Jesus underwent, and these brought her great peace and joy. On her recovery she became an 'anchoress' (a recluse) living a life of prayer and contemplation in a 'cell' near what is now St Julian's Church in Norwich. In the following years she wrote down her reflections on the visions, and later worked on these to produce a book called 'Revelations of Divine Love'.
She was the first woman to write such a religious work in the English language and she covered some of the most difficult subjects that Christians have to face, like the mystery of evil in our world. Her work shows deep understanding, and the beauty of her writing gives us an idea of her personality and strength of mind.
Over the years she became known as a wonderful counsellor and many people came to consult her. She offered them great spiritual advice mixed with basic common sense. Her writing also offers comfort, with her belief that 'God is Love', summed up in her words "All shall be well, all shall be well, in all manner of things all shall be well."
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You called us to 'let your light shine',
not for our own sake,
but to give glory to the Father in Heaven.
May we learn from Julian of Norwich
how to follow in her footsteps,
living a life of prayer and worship,
that offers glory to God.
Amen.
Julian's work can be read online, but it makes very difficult reading in the original text. Have a look it if you want using 'Project Gutenberg' which is an online library of free eBooks:
You may find the many quotes by Julian in the following website much easier to understand. The site wants you to sign in via Facebook or another site, but I suggest you just click the cross in the right-hand corner, and the quotes come up:
You could also a buy modern abridged version of her work. Look up: Revelations of Divine Love (Modern English translation) in your search browser. The Kindle version at present is 99p, and paperback copies cost around £5.