St. Andrews by the Lake

The Feast of Dame Julian of Norwich

c. 1417

All things shall be well
You should see for yourself that
All manner of things shall be well

Julian of Norwich’s refrain of hope and joy has given comfort to seekers throughout the ages. Such a hymn to God’s love is often sung by one who has had a direct experience of that love. Julian, a 14th Century recluse, is considered a mystic because of her intense experiences of the sacred.

The hope and optimism of Julian’s teaching did not come from the historical mood of her day. The second half of the 14th Century in England was a time of disintegration and chaos. There was economic suffering, the effects of war, and the devastation of death and loss from the Plague (sound familiar?) Julian’s mysticism was not a world denying mysticism, but a vision of God’s nearness and ultimate goodness.

For as the body is clad in the cloth,
and the flesh in the skin,
and the bones in the flesh,
and the heart in the trunk,
So are soul, and body,
clad in the goodness of God.

Julian’s gospel of love came through her series of visions she received in 1373, at the age of 30. She received these visions when her life hung in a balance between life and death from an unexplainable illness.

Julian, in her reflections, seems to ask many of the same questions we hear today about the spiritual journey: If God is all goodness, why is there suffering in the world? What is the ultimate meaning of life? All her questions are asked in the framework of prayer. as she said of pray:Pray inwardly, even if you do not enjoy it.It does good, though you feel nothing.Yes, even though you think you are doing nothing.Give thanks today for the soul and guidance of this great mystic.

Other quotes of Julian of Norwich “The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.”

“Between God and the soul there is no between.”

Blessings to All,

Cindy