Julian of Norwich

Today the Church remembers the life and ministry of Julian of Norwich who was born around 1342 and died on this day in 1417.  When she was 30 and living at home, Julian suffered from a severe illness. She was on her deathbed when she had a series of intense visions of Jesus, and they ended by the time she recovered from her illness in May of 1373. Julian wrote about her visions immediately after they had happened; however, the text may not have been finished for some years. She wrote The Revelations of Divine Love, now known as The Short Text; and is about 11,000 words long. It is believed to be the earliest surviving book written in the English language by a woman.

 

Twenty to thirty years later, Julian began to write a theological exploration of the meaning of the visions, known as The Long Text, consisting of about 63,500 words. This work seems to have gone through many revisions before it was finished.

 

James Kiefer writes:

 

She was concerned that sometimes when we are faced with a difficult moral decision; it seems that no matter which way we decide, we will have acted from motives that are less then completely pure, so that neither decision is defensible. She finally wrote: "It is enough to be sure of the deed. Our courteous Lord will deign to redeem the motive." 

 

A matter that greatly troubled her was the fate of those who through no fault of their own had never heard the Gospel. She never received a direct answer to her questions about them, except to be told that whatever God does is done in Love, and therefore "that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." 

 

Let us pray:  Lord God, who in your compassion granted to the Lady Julian many revelations of your nurturing and sustaining love: Move our hearts, like hers, to seek you above all things, for in giving us yourself you give us all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Don’t forget Mother’s Day!  It is this Sunday.  “A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” Tenneva Jordan (1904-1988).

 

Seaside Seniors, Thursday, 21 May at 11 AM.

ESL on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.  If you know someone who could benefit from it, please let them know.  It is free.

Spanish speaking Al-anon every Wednesday evening.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550