From a Lenten reflection by Archbishop Leo Cushley: Catholic Herald 7.4.17
As the Irish rock star Bono said in 2013: "When people say 'good teacher', 'prophet', 'really nice guy'- this is not really how Jesus thought of himself. So, you're left with a challenge in that, which is either Jesus was who he said he was or a complete and utter nutcase. You have to make a choice on that, and I believe that Jesus was (........) the Son of God."
Me too; that 's the kind of talking I like, down to earth, ordinary.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
From Julian of Norwich on the homeliness and courtesy of God
Revelations of Divine Love
The Seventh Chapter
(An image of the drops of blood falling from the crown of thorns on the head of Jesus)
........the plenteousness is like to the drops of water that fall off the eaves after a great shower of rain, that fall so thick that no man may number them with bodily wit;...........
And of all the sight it was most comfort to me that our God and Lord, that is so reverend and dreadful, is so homely and courteous: and this most fulfilled me with comfort and secureness of soul.
.......Then thinketh this poor creature thus: "And what might this noble Lord do (of) more worship and joy to me than to show me, that am so simple, this marvellous homeliness? Soothly it is more joy and liking to me than (if) he gave me great gifts and were himself strange in manner."
This bodily example was shewed so highly that man's heart might be ravished and almost forgetting itself for joy of the great homeliness. Thus it fareth with our Lord Jesus and us. For soothly it is the most joy that may be, as to my sight, that he that is highest and mightiest, noblest and worthiest, is lowest and meekest, homeliest and most courteous: and truly and soothly this marvellous joy shall be shown us all when we see him.
And this willeth our Lord, that we seek for and trust to, joy and delight in him, comforting us and solacing us, as we may, with his grace and with his help, unto the time that we see it verily. For the most fulnes of joy that we shall have, as to my sight, is the marvellous courtesy and homeliness of our Father that is our maker, in our Lord Jesus Christ that is our Brother and our Saviour.
The Seventh Chapter
(An image of the drops of blood falling from the crown of thorns on the head of Jesus)
........the plenteousness is like to the drops of water that fall off the eaves after a great shower of rain, that fall so thick that no man may number them with bodily wit;...........
And of all the sight it was most comfort to me that our God and Lord, that is so reverend and dreadful, is so homely and courteous: and this most fulfilled me with comfort and secureness of soul.
.......Then thinketh this poor creature thus: "And what might this noble Lord do (of) more worship and joy to me than to show me, that am so simple, this marvellous homeliness? Soothly it is more joy and liking to me than (if) he gave me great gifts and were himself strange in manner."
This bodily example was shewed so highly that man's heart might be ravished and almost forgetting itself for joy of the great homeliness. Thus it fareth with our Lord Jesus and us. For soothly it is the most joy that may be, as to my sight, that he that is highest and mightiest, noblest and worthiest, is lowest and meekest, homeliest and most courteous: and truly and soothly this marvellous joy shall be shown us all when we see him.
And this willeth our Lord, that we seek for and trust to, joy and delight in him, comforting us and solacing us, as we may, with his grace and with his help, unto the time that we see it verily. For the most fulnes of joy that we shall have, as to my sight, is the marvellous courtesy and homeliness of our Father that is our maker, in our Lord Jesus Christ that is our Brother and our Saviour.
Sunday, 9 April 2017
From Julian of Norwich on the gifts of the Passion and Death of Our Lord
Revelations of Divine Love
The Sixth Chapter
............We pray to God for (the sake of) his holy flesh and for his precious blood, his holy Passion, his dearworthy death and wounds: and all the blessed kindness, the endless life that we have of all this, is (of) his Goodness. And we pray him for his sweet Mother's love that him bare; and all the help we have of her is of his Goodness. And we pray by his holy Cross that he died on, and all the virtue and the help that we have of the Cross, it is of his Goodness. And on the same wise, all the help that we have of special saints and all the blessed Company of Heaven, the dearworthy love and endless friendship that we have of them, it is of his Goodness...................
..........so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed. Yea, and more homely - for ......the Goodness of God is ever whole - ..............for truly our Lover desireth that our soul cleave to him with all its might.............For of all things that heart may think, this pleaseth most God.........
For our soull is so specially loved of him that is highest, that it overpasseth the knowing of all creatures: that is to say, there is no creature that is made that may wot how much and how sweetly and how tenderly our Maker loveth us.
For our kindly Will is to have God, and the Good Will of God is to have us;.........
For he willeth that we be occupied in knowing and loving till the time that we shall be fulfilled in Heaven; and therefore was this lesson of Love shewed,...........and maketh the soul (to have) true meekness; with plenty of charity to his even (fellow)- Christians.
The Sixth Chapter
............We pray to God for (the sake of) his holy flesh and for his precious blood, his holy Passion, his dearworthy death and wounds: and all the blessed kindness, the endless life that we have of all this, is (of) his Goodness. And we pray him for his sweet Mother's love that him bare; and all the help we have of her is of his Goodness. And we pray by his holy Cross that he died on, and all the virtue and the help that we have of the Cross, it is of his Goodness. And on the same wise, all the help that we have of special saints and all the blessed Company of Heaven, the dearworthy love and endless friendship that we have of them, it is of his Goodness...................
..........so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed. Yea, and more homely - for ......the Goodness of God is ever whole - ..............for truly our Lover desireth that our soul cleave to him with all its might.............For of all things that heart may think, this pleaseth most God.........
For our soull is so specially loved of him that is highest, that it overpasseth the knowing of all creatures: that is to say, there is no creature that is made that may wot how much and how sweetly and how tenderly our Maker loveth us.
For our kindly Will is to have God, and the Good Will of God is to have us;.........
For he willeth that we be occupied in knowing and loving till the time that we shall be fulfilled in Heaven; and therefore was this lesson of Love shewed,...........and maketh the soul (to have) true meekness; with plenty of charity to his even (fellow)- Christians.
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