Revelations of Divine Love
The Fifth Chapter
..... this is the cause why we be not all in ease of heart and soul: that we seek here rest in those things that be so little, wherein is no rest, and know not our God that is Almighty, All-wise, All-good. For he is the Very Rest. .............
Also our Lord God shewed that it is full great pleasance to him that a silly soul come to him nakedly and plainly and homely. For this is the kind yearnings of the soul, ..........."God, of thy Goodness, give me thyself: for thou art enough to me, and I may nothing ask that is less, that may be full worship to thee; and if I ask anything that is less, ever me wanteth,--but only in thee I have all."
And these words are full lovesome to the soul, and full near touch they the will of God and his Goodness. ..........For he is the endlessness, and he hath made us only to himself, ..... and keepeth us in his blessed love; and all this is of his Goodness.
Sunday, 26 March 2017
Sunday, 19 March 2017
From Julian of Norwich on the Trinity and our Blessed Lady
Revelations of Divine Love
The Fourth Chapter
..................
And in the same Shewing suddenly the Trinity fulfilled my heart most of joy. And so, I understood, it shall be in heaven without end to all that shall come there. For the Trinity is God: God is the Trinity; the Trinity is our Maker and Keeper, the Trinity is our everlasting lover, everlasting joy and bliss, by our Lord Jesus Christ.
......our blessed Lady (was brought) to my understanding. I saw her ghostly, in bodily likeness: a simple maid and a meek, young of age and little waxen above a child, in the stature that she was when she conceived with child. Also God shewed in part the wisdom and the truth of her soul: wherein I understood the reverent beholding that she beheld her God and Maker (with), marvelling with great reverence that he would be born of her that was a simple creature of his making. And this wisdom and truth - knowing the greatness of her Maker and the littleness of herself that was made, - caused her to say full meekly to Gabriel: " Lo me, God's handmaid!" In this sight I understood soothly that she is more than all that God made beneath her in worthiness and grace; for above her is nothing that is made but the blessed (Manhood) of Christ, as to my sight.
Friday, 17 March 2017
About the 'name of God' in the OT
We were taught at school that God's words, as spoken to Moses from the burning bush, were felt by the Jewish people to require such awe and reverence, that they were never to be spoken aloud and were generally represented by the 4 letters, JHWH.
The translation we were given was "I am, who am", which always seemed very unsatisfactory to me, both grammatically and meaning-wise.
The translation we were given was "I am, who am", which always seemed very unsatisfactory to me, both grammatically and meaning-wise.
My favoured option would be "I AM WHO IS" that is, 'I am the Being who exists'. God just 'is'! God has no past or future; God dwells in the ever-present moment, beyond time.
I like to think of God as the 'is' in existence.
PS. It always rather upsets me when I hear the name, Jahweh, being used in case it gives offence to the Jewish community.
PS. It always rather upsets me when I hear the name, Jahweh, being used in case it gives offence to the Jewish community.
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
About receiving Holy Communion in hospital
I was in hospital, having had pneumonia. My body, mind and emotions had all hit a 'wall'. I'd had lunch, was sitting quietly, began to feel emotional, looked up and saw a lady standing in front of me. For a moment, I thought she was a nurse of some sort.
She leaned forward and quietly said, "My name is Julie and I'm one of the hospital chaplains." I looked at her, took hold of her hands - and cried and cried and cried. After a short while, I asked her if she would talk to me about herself so that I could become calm again.
She told me a little about her life and family until I was able to ask if she'd brought me Communion. She had. She said that I didn't need to say the responses; she would say them for us both. That in itself was beautiful. It was as if an angel stood before me and brought Jesus to me. I cried and listened and received my Blessed Lord from her hands.
Afterwards, I told her of all the thoughts that had come to me, lying in bed, during that time; of God, of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. She said that she felt privileged, or some other word like that, to have shared them. We talked of our families. I was conscious that she had others to visit. So we parted. It was the most beautiful Communion of my life.
Jesus was with me the whole of the time that I was in hospital. All the things that I had allowed to overcrowd my brain had been silenced. There, I could hear his voice, telling me many wise things, talking to me, showing me how his hand had guided me. I will not allow anything to come between us again.
I had allowed myself to be brought to a full stop. He brought me through the valley of the shadow of death. His crook is preventing me from going astray and his staff is gently guiding me in the right direction.
I went to sleep that night with the words of the psalm in my head.
You, Lord, are my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where you give me repose.
Near restful waters you lead me to revive my drooping spirit.
You lead me along the right path.
You are true to your name.
If I should walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
you are there with your crook and your staff
with these you give me comfort.
And comfort, that Wednesday afternoon, through the hands of Julie, I was given. It has not left me even now, 5 weeks later. Thank you Julie. Thank you, God, for sending her just when I needed you.
Amen.
She leaned forward and quietly said, "My name is Julie and I'm one of the hospital chaplains." I looked at her, took hold of her hands - and cried and cried and cried. After a short while, I asked her if she would talk to me about herself so that I could become calm again.
She told me a little about her life and family until I was able to ask if she'd brought me Communion. She had. She said that I didn't need to say the responses; she would say them for us both. That in itself was beautiful. It was as if an angel stood before me and brought Jesus to me. I cried and listened and received my Blessed Lord from her hands.
Afterwards, I told her of all the thoughts that had come to me, lying in bed, during that time; of God, of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. She said that she felt privileged, or some other word like that, to have shared them. We talked of our families. I was conscious that she had others to visit. So we parted. It was the most beautiful Communion of my life.
Jesus was with me the whole of the time that I was in hospital. All the things that I had allowed to overcrowd my brain had been silenced. There, I could hear his voice, telling me many wise things, talking to me, showing me how his hand had guided me. I will not allow anything to come between us again.
I had allowed myself to be brought to a full stop. He brought me through the valley of the shadow of death. His crook is preventing me from going astray and his staff is gently guiding me in the right direction.
I went to sleep that night with the words of the psalm in my head.
You, Lord, are my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where you give me repose.
Near restful waters you lead me to revive my drooping spirit.
You lead me along the right path.
You are true to your name.
If I should walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
you are there with your crook and your staff
with these you give me comfort.
And comfort, that Wednesday afternoon, through the hands of Julie, I was given. It has not left me even now, 5 weeks later. Thank you Julie. Thank you, God, for sending her just when I needed you.
Amen.
Sunday, 5 March 2017
About Jesus the welcomer (take 3)
Jesus is an inviter, a beckoner.
He stands, with arms wide open,
waiting for us to approach him.
He is not a 'tub-thumper', an exhorter.
he does not 'finger-wag' us into 'salvation'.
Listen to him saying, over and over again,
"Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest!!"
Then, go to him.
You WILL be comforted,
(even if it is with a crook and a staff!
He knows that sometimes that's just what we need.)
(The crook is to rescue us when we have gone astray,
to pull us out of the messes and pits of life into which we can so easily fall
and the staff is to lead us in the right direction when we are lost.)
Above all, DO NOT BE AFRAID!!
He stands, with arms wide open,
waiting for us to approach him.
He is not a 'tub-thumper', an exhorter.
he does not 'finger-wag' us into 'salvation'.
Listen to him saying, over and over again,
"Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest!!"
Then, go to him.
You WILL be comforted,
(even if it is with a crook and a staff!
He knows that sometimes that's just what we need.)
(The crook is to rescue us when we have gone astray,
to pull us out of the messes and pits of life into which we can so easily fall
and the staff is to lead us in the right direction when we are lost.)
Above all, DO NOT BE AFRAID!!
Friday, 3 March 2017
About the truth which surrounds us
Truth is all around us,
suspended on the airwaves.
If only we could reach out and touch it,
it would enter our hearts and minds
and connect us to the infinity of God.
suspended on the airwaves.
If only we could reach out and touch it,
it would enter our hearts and minds
and connect us to the infinity of God.
Thursday, 2 March 2017
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