Suppose there is a religious figure that lived centuries
ago yet speaks to us today. In that case, I think many would consider Julian of
Norwich, otherwise known as St. Julian (although the Roman Catholic Church has
not officially canonized her), Dame Julian, or Mother Julian, to be a relevant
and comforting figure.
She was born around 1342, but her date of death is
unknown, although likely after 1416. We know nothing of her life before the age
of 30, but in May of 1373, she became dangerously ill and near death. During
that brief but terrifying illness, she had fifteen visions or "revelations"
from God. After her recovery, she wrote
about the visions and meditated on them and their meaning. These became known
as the "Short Revelations." Later in life, she wrote an expanded version
known as the "Revelations of Divine Love," a theological classic that
has endured to the present day.
Was she a nun? We don't know for sure, although we aren't
certain that "Julian" was ever her given name but rather a name taken
from the church of St Julian where she entered as a recluse probably around
1394. For the remainder of her life, she lived as an anchoress in a small set
of rooms attached to and yet separate from the church itself. Anchoresses (and
anchorites, the male version) lived in a small room with three small windows:
one opening into the church so that the anchoress could hear and see the mass
and receive communion; a second opening so that her maid or servant could pass
food in and remove containers of waste from the cell; and a third where Julian
could receive and counsel those who came to her for spiritual advice. She was
well-known for her wisdom and holiness, which brought many to her, including the
English mystic Margery Kempe, a noble and notable layperson who made pilgrimages
across Europe to sacred sites for prayer, meditation, learning, and, her
particular gift, copious bouts of crying while contemplating the cross,
crucifixion, pain, and death of Jesus Christ.
Julian, as an anchoress, took various vows before being
sealed in her cell or rooms until death came for her. Like most religious orders,
those who take final vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These rules also
apply to those called hermits, who were recluses who chose to live in isolation
although were free to move from place to place. The Desert Fathers (and
Mothers) were among the first Christian monastics, and the later Christian
orders grew from these hermits. Anchorites took one additional vow of stability,
a promise to remain not only staying in
one place but being walled in with no exit and only the three small windows until
the day the anchorite died.
In a sense, we have had a sort of hermit-like life over
the past year or so, and sometimes even a sense of being locked into a house with
limited contact with the outside world. We have felt cut off from family and
friends, our church, even the simple act of going out to eat or shop. We have worn
masks much as monks, nuns, or even hermits wore identifying habits to mark them
as set apart for religious or health reasons. Granted, the masks we wore were
many and varied rather than cohesive or unifying, but as a sign that we were
following a discipline for not only our own safety but for that of others.
While we were sequestered due to our pandemic, we also
had the opportunity to live a bit of an anchorite's or anchoress' life, with
time to devote to extra prayer and meditation. In addition, we could
participate with new people we had never met but with whom we had a common
interest in spirituality and faith formation in the way Julian could meet with
those of her day with the same concerns and interests. I wonder what Dame
Julian would make of Zoom?
One of Julian's most famous quotes is, "All shall be well, and all shall be well
and all manner of thing shall be well." Probably nearly every Christian
has heard that wisdom at some time or other in their spiritual journey. If ever
there was an anchor to hold on to in good times and bad. Heaven knows, we have all
shared some tough times recently, ranging from inconvenience to ultimate
tragedy. We may not have the opportunity to go live in solitude in the desert; however,
we still have the chance to find a small space in our houses to go and be alone
to practice our spiritual exercises much as someone with an exercise machine could
set aside space to ride a stationary bike or run on a treadmill. So likewise, our
hearts can set aside room for us to communicate with God and listen as well.
Granted, it takes discipline, but then, religious intention takes work, another
word for discipline.
So, as we
think on Julian today, we can use her words and example to anchor us in the
present and to a firm foundation of faith and hope. So it is using ancient
words to fill a current need, one that is always present.
God bless.
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