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Morning Devotion for the Season of Easter
May 8, 2024
Invitatory
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Julian of Norwich as translated by -- Liz Broadwell (ebroadwe@dept.english.upenn.edu)
And from the time that [the vision] was shown, I desired often to know what our Lord's meaning was. And fifteen years and more afterward I was answered in my spiritual understanding, thus: 'Would you know your Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well, love was his meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he show you? Love. Why did he show it? For love. Keep yourself therein and you shall know and understand more in the same. But you shall never know nor understand any other thing, forever.'
Thus I was taught that love was our Lord's meaning. And I saw quite clearly in this and in all, that before God made us, he loved us, which love was never slaked nor ever shall be. And in this love he has done all his work, and in this love he has made all things profitable to us. And in this love our life is everlasting. In our creation we had a beginning. But the love wherein he made us was in him with no beginning. And all this shall be seen in God without end ...
Meditation-Rebecca Northington
Several of my priestly friends and friends from grad school have had a “Julian of Norwich'' moment. Feeling fatigued or slightly despondent they have sought out a richer understanding of their faith, and she did not disappoint. Recognized today in our lectionary “the Lady Juliana was born about 1342, and when she was thirty years old, she became gravely ill and was expected to die. Then, on the seventh day, the medical crisis passed, and she had a series of fifteen visions, or "showings," in which she was led to contemplate the Passion of Christ. These brought her great peace and joy. She became an anchoress, living in a small hut near to the church in Norwich, where she devoted the rest of her life to prayer and contemplation of the meaning of her visions. The results of her meditations she wrote in a book called Revelations of Divine Love, available in modern English in a Penguin Paperback edition. During her lifetime, she became known as a counselor, whose advice combined spiritual insight with common sense, and many persons came to speak with her. Since her death, many more have found help in her writings. The precise date of her death is uncertain. Her book is a tender meditation on God's eternal and all-embracing love, as expressed to us in the Passion of Christ.”
I am a great champion of mental health awareness and treatment especially regarding the population to which I minister. You all have likely heard me speak or write on this topic, and we have brought in many specialists to speak to parents to help them to understand how important it is that we listen to those in need. As I was reading some of Norwich’s more beautiful excerpts including the one I used for this meditation, I was reminded of Christ’s hope for us all. Through Christ we come to know God’s eternal wish for us which is a healthy mind and heart. Christ counseled others just as he taught them to minister to all who need them, in whatever capacity. The end goal is for us to know God’s love and to allow it to shape everything in our lives-which results in this embodiment of that love that inevitably emanates from us out into the world; with healing and hope.
Often as people become involved at Redeemer, or maybe when they become active on the vestry or various committees, they are struck by the challenge of filling the pews. Our culture is driven by data and numbers, and we want results-we want a full church every Sunday. It is hard for those of us in ministry to think in this way, because our work is so personal-so one on one. I have referred to us as midwives in the past, and in this way we can help people in the work of faith and relationship with God-but we cannot actually do that work ourselves. We can try to create a conducive setting or help them access text that speaks to them, or experiences that help them to know and love God. But we cannot make them know and love God, or come to church every Sunday.
Interestingly though, these two pieces, I would argue, are related. Our societal issues of mental health, and our collective resistance to truly try and know and understand God’s role in our lives. This line captures much of my point, “During her lifetime, she became known as a counselor, whose advice combined spiritual insight with common sense, and many persons came to speak with her.” I think Peter, JoAnn and I all try to do this for those who are willing to understand God’s role in their life more fully. Not how God benefits them. Not how to live a moral and upright life. Not simply to carry on a tradition known from our parents, and their parents. But to be transformed by Christ’s love for us that was so great he was tortured and savagely murdered…for us. Likely many of us could use a little more Julian of Norwich in our lives, and I urge you to seek out her writing. Perhaps her understanding of God’s love will ignite a fire in us to know and serve God better, with love and gratitude- and in so doing heal our own brokenness and suffering.
Prayer
Triune God, Father and Mother to us all, who in thy compassion didst grant to your servant Julian many revelations of thy nurturing and sustaining love: Move our hearts, like hers, to seek thee above all things, for in giving us thyself thou givest us all. Amen.
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