"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well." ~ Julian of Norwich
Good Evening Dear Ones!
Happy Friday! We come together and celebrate the feast day of Dame Julian of Norwich on her feast day. We also hold a special Friday prayer vigil for all people affected by violence and life's struggles. We speak the name of Ahmaud Arbery so that he may live forever. Lady Julian teaches us many things and one of them is her body prayer, that will open our time together before we meditate upon her words.
AWAIT (hands at waist, cupped up to receive): Await God’s presence, not as you expect, hope, or imagine, but just as it is in this moment.
ALLOW (reach up, hands open): Allow a sense of God’s presence (or not) to come and be what it is, without meeting your expectations.
ACCEPT (hands at heart, cupped towards body): Accept as a gift whatever comes or does not come. Accept that you are not in charge. Accept the infinity of God’s presence, whether or not you are aware.
ATTEND (hands outstretched, ready to be responsive): In this stance of openness, attend to the action(s) that God invites you to take.
Not sure what to do? Please watch this video. The music is amazing.
Now let us turn to Dame Julian's inspirational words for meditation.
"Pray, even if you feel nothing, see nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing to God, even though you may find little joy in it. This is true of all believing prayer." ~ Julian of Norwich
"He [Jesus] did not say, 'You will never have a rough passage, you will never be over-strained, you will never feel uncomfortable,' but he did say, 'You will never be overcome." ~ Julian of Norwich
"Be a Gardener. Dig a ditch. Toil and sweat. And turn the earth upside down. And seek the deepness. And water plants in time. Continue this labor. And make sweet floods to run, and noble and abundant fruits to spring. Take this food and drink, and carry it to God as your true worship." ~ Julian of Norwich
"Greatly ought we to rejoice that God dwells in our soul; and more greatly ought we to rejoice that our soul dwells in God. Our soul is created to be God’s dwelling place, and the dwelling of our souls is God, who is uncreated. It is a great understanding to see and know inwardly that God, who is our Creator, dwells in our soul, and it is a far greater understanding to see and know inwardly that our soul, which is created, dwells in God in substance, of which substance, though God, we are what we are." ~ 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
"Our life is all grounded and rooted in love, and without love we may not live." ~ Julian of Norwich
"Where do we begin? Begin with the heart." ~ Julian of Norwich
"Every act of kindness and compassion done by any man for his fellow Christian is done by Christ working within him." ~ Julian of Norwich
"He said not 'Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be dis-eased'; but he said, 'Thou shalt not be overcome." ~ Julian of Norwich
"God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall." ~ 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
"Between God and the soul there is no between." ~ Julian of Norwich
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If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has
passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:17,
NRSV
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but citizens together
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19
God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and
in truth. John 4:24
Light of the World Phos hilaron
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
Psalm 134 Ecce nunc
Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, *
you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; *
the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge.
Let us make vigil and pray this canticle.
A Song of Christ’s Goodness
Anselm of Canterbury
Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *
in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *
by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *
through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead, *
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *
in your love and tenderness, remake us.
In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *
for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.
For Survivors of Abuse and Violence
Holy One, you do not distance yourself from the pain of your
people, but in Jesus bear that pain with us and bless all who suffer
at others’ hands. Hallow our flesh and all creation; with your
cleansing love bring healing and strength to N.; and by your
justice, lift her/him up, that in the body you have given her/him,
she/he may again rejoice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
We speak the name of Ahmaud Arbery and all others who have been killed in acts of violence________ and those known only to you O God.
For a Child Who Dies by Violence
Loving God, Jesus gathered your little ones in his arms and
blessed them. Have pity on those who mourn for Kendrick Castillo., an innocent
slaughtered by the violence of our fallen world. Be with us as we
struggle with the mysteries of life and death; in our pain, bring
your comfort, and in our sorrow, bring your hope and your
promise of new life, in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.
or this
God our deliverer, gather our horror and pity for the death of
your child N. into the compass of your wisdom and strength, that
through the night we may seek and do what is right, and when
morning comes trust ourselves to your cleansing justice and new
life; through Christ our Savior. Amen.
or this
God, do not hide your face from us in our anger and grief for the
death of N. Renew us in hope that your justice will roll down
like mighty waters and joy spring up from the broken ground in a
living stream; through Jesus our Savior. Amen.
For One Who has Killed
Holy God, we lift into the light of your justice N. [the one] who
has taken the life of your child N. Where our hearts are stone
return to us hearts of flesh; that grief may not swallow us up, but
new life find us through Jesus the crucified, with whom we are
raised by your power. Amen
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace
As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.
Toyohiko Kagawa: Teach Me & Where You Dwell
TEACH ME
O God, teach me how to dispense with unnecessary things.
WHERE YOU DWELL
We are mindful, O God, that You dwell among the lowliest people of the Earth, that You sit on the dust-heap among those in the slums and those in prison, that you are present with the juvenile delinquents and the homeless, that You throng with the beggars seeking bread, that You suffer with the sick, and that You stand in line with the unemployed. May we be mindful that when we forget the unemployed, we forget You.
Christ our Passover Pascha nostrum
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, *
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
From The Resisistance Prays
For I will restore you to health
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord,
‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:
“It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’ “Thus says the Lord,
‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And have compassion on his dwelling places;
And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the palace will stand on its rightful place.
‘From them will proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who celebrate;
And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished;
I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.
-Jeremiah 30:17-22
Holy God, we ask you bring health to America, much like you promised in Jeremiah. But unlike a restoration of health in Jeremiah, we ask for a new health in America. Give us the wisdom to recognize America has never been healthy and the strength to speak truth to power about that fact. Amen.
27 Dominus illuminatio
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who
stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my trust in him.
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.
Hebrews 10:19-24
A Call to Persevere
19 Therefore, my friends,* since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let 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. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,
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.
John 4:21-26
21Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ 26Jesus said to her, ‘I am he,* the one who is speaking to you.’
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.
“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
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 Savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous 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
Hold your hazelnut
“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 Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
Triune God, Father and Mother to us all, who showed your servant Julian 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. Amen.
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 this 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.”
The settings of the Lord's Prayer from A New Zealand Prayer Book.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
or the alternative form.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.
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.
“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
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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Good Night Beloved Ones! I love you and give God Thanks for you this day and always.
Peace, Love, Prayers, and God's Blessings!
Sara
Resources:
A to Z Quotes
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Book of Common Prayer Book
Enriching Our Worship 1 and 2
Northumbria Community
Prayers of Power Harvard Square Library
Satucket Lectionary - Julian of Norwich
Walk With Me On Our Journey
You Tube- Plural Guild.
From the Northumbria Community:
Julian of Norwich (1342?-1416?) May 8th
Julian of Norwich, or Dame Julian, as her contemporaries knew her, was writing at the time of Chaucer, Langland and the anonymous author of ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’. During an illness, she received a vision of the Passion of Christ, on either May 8th or 10th 1373. An early scribe, introducing her account of this, described her as a recluse at Norwich, still alive in 1413, a devout woman whose words were ‘comfortable and most moving for all those who desire to love God’. This vision is what she reflected on throughout her very long life, and she wrote about her ‘revelations’ a great deal.
She was indeed a recluse, in a cell attached to the Church of SS Julian and Edward, which may have given her the name by which she is known. She was also a mystic and may have been a nun, for ‘Dame’ was a usual title for a Benedictine nun and the church was in the gift of the Benedictine Abbey of Carrow, but there is no proof. She tells us very little about herself in her writings: even the visions she counts as of little importance. The most important thing to her was to foster a greater devotion to God, love towards others that overflowed and a deep desire that those who read her words would experience and grow in the love of God
Life at this time was filled with turmoil, war, disaster, rebellion and plague. There was much religious questioning in theology and philosophy, some of which was actively discouraged by the Church. Norwich attracted traders and travellers from across Europe, and many sought Julian’s counsel. She was known to be expert in spiritual things and a skilful counsellor. Our prayer today is based on Julian’s writings:
Our Lord, continually remind us of our longing for You. Show us that nothing hinders us except our sin. If You had only created us without sin, all would have been well; but the pain that we feel when we recognise sin purifies us and leads us to know ourselves and to ask for mercy. Then You assure us that all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. Thank You, Lord; may we rest in this assurance. Amen
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