Monday, May 8, 2017

Prayerful reminders from Lady Julian!




Good Evening Dear Family of Love and God:

Happy Feast day of Julian of Norwich. Today we are going to pray and meditate upon the lessons, prayers, and quotes surrounding Julian of Norwich. She brings to us a calming and reassuring presence. 


Let us pray and make vigil

“Our Savior is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly born and out of whom we shall never come.” 
― Julian of Norwich


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“Jesus wants us to understand four things: First, that He Himself is our ground, the soil from which we grow, the foundation on which we are built. Second, that He guards us and keeps us safe when we are in the midst of sin, when our own choices allow our enemies to surround us, when we do not even realize our own need. Third, that He guards us with care and kindness, showing us where we have gone astray. And fourth, that His presence is always with us, and His loving gaze never wavers, for He wants us to turn back to Him and become united with Him in love, as He is with us. When” 
― Julian of Norwich, All Shall Be Well: Daily Readings From Julian Of Norwich: Revelations Of Divine Love


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A Song of True Motherhood

Julian of Norwich

God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.

“And all shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be exceeding well.” 
― Julian of Norwich


Psalm 27:5–11

Dominus illuminatio

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.
7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.

A Song of Our True Nature

Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *
our trespasses and our humiliations.
Christ also revealed his blessed power, *
his blessed wisdom and love.
He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *
he raises us in spirit
and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.
God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature; *
God is the true father and mother of natures.
We are all bound to God by nature, *
and we are all bound to God by grace.
And this grace is for all the world, *
because it is our precious mother, Christ.
For this fair nature was prepared by Christ
for the honor and nobility of all, *
and for the joy and bliss of salvation

Isaiah 46:3–5

Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
even when you turn grey I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, as though we were alike?


“God, of thy goodness, give me Thyself;
for Thou art enough for me,
and I can ask for nothing less
that can be full honor to Thee.
And if I ask anything that is less,
ever Shall I be in want,
for only in Thee have I all.” 
― Julian of Norwich




Hebrews 10:19–24

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,

“See that I am God. See that I am in everything. See that I do everything. See that I have never stopped ordering my works, nor ever shall, eternally. See that I lead everything on to the conclusion I ordained for it before time began, by the same power, wisdom and love with which I made it. How can anything be amiss?” 
― Julian of Norwich

John 4:23–26
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
Let us prayerfully meditate upon these jewels from Lady Julian:
“Lord, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for thee or thine,
But quiet homes of prayer and praise, where thou mayest find fit company,
Where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away,
And wide, sweet spaces kept for thee; where holy thoughts pass up and down
And fervent longings watch and wait thy coming.” 
― Julian of Norwich
Collect for the Feast Day of Dame Julian of Norwich
Lord God, in your compassion you 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.
God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall.
Julian of Norwich
“He wills that we take ourselves with great strength to the faith of holy Church and find there our most precious mother in comfort and true understanding with the whole communion of blessed ones. For a person by himself can frequently be broken, as it seems to himself, but the whole body of holy Church was never broken and never shall be, without end. Therefore it is a sure thing, a good thing, and a gracious thing to will meekly and powerfully to be fastened and joined to our mother, holy Church - that is Christ Jesus.” 
― Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love


Every act of kindness and compassion done by any man for his fellow Christian is done by Christ working within him.
Julian of Norwich

The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.
Julian of Norwich

Where do we begin? Begin with the heart.
Julian of Norwich


Our life is all grounded and rooted in love, and without love we may not live.
Julian of Norwich

“All shall be well.” 
― Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love


This is our Lord's will... that our prayer and our trust be, alike, large.
Julian of Norwich

Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love.
Julian of Norwich

We are in God and God whom we do not see is in us.
Julian of Norwich

Everything has being through the love of God.
Julian of Norwich

Peace and love are ever in us, being and working; but we be not alway in peace and in love.
Julian of Norwich

God is nearer to us than our own spirit
Julian of Norwich

The Elements of Prayer|Its ground: God, by whose goodness it springeth in us. |Its use: to turn our will to His will. |Its end: to be made one with Him and like to Him in all things.
Julian of Norwich


Prayer unites the soul to God.
Julian of Norwich

A prayer of Julian of Norwich

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and Saviour. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvellous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen


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“And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marveled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God.

In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.” 
― Julian of NorwichRevelations of Divine Love




Let us pray responding with“All shall be well.” 

God our Mother help us when we are confused and set adrift by things we encounter daily and do not understand.

“All shall be well.” 

God our Mother help us to live holy, compassionate, accepting, loving and merciful lives even in times of great anxiety and tension.

“All shall be well.” 

God our Mother give us courage to love all of our family members and seek reconciliation even if at the present time we having trouble doing so.

“All shall be well.” 
God our Mother give us strength to speak for the voiceless ones, injustice, inequality, and those whose human rights are being violated. Give us courage to press on and know “All shall be well.” 

God our Mother watch over all of our family members who are grieving the loss of loved ones and also those who are pre-grieving. Let them know that in time “All shall be well.” 

God our Mother we pray for peace in this fragile and broken world. Give us courage and empower us to be your peacemakers for the good of all your children. May we have patience to work and serve you in your Kairos time, not our Chronos reality and know:
“All shall be well.” 

God our Mother we pray for the least of these. Give us hearts and heart homes to care for them without worry but with grace and love. May we show them that we are their brothers and sisters and recognize you in them. We pray that we may know that as we serve them : “All shall be well.” 

God our Mother we lift up these our prayers and all other prayers that are said in silence at this time Let us lay them at your feet and in your loving arms. Help us to breathe and offer them up to you and know in our hearts: “All shall be well.” 

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.


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Good Night Dear Ones! As Dame Julian said " All shall be well and all shall be well...." I love you. You bless me each day by your abiding presence.

With love and prayers,

Sara



Resources: Good Reads Quotes
Enriching our Worship
Book of Common Prayer.



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