Julian of Norwich

In May 1373, when she was thirty-one, she prayed that she would know what Christ suffered. As if in answer, she became dangerously ill. Over three days and nights, as her mother and several friends tended her, she lost the ability to move or speak. On the fourth night, a priest gave her the last rites. Two days and two nights later, she was still clinging to life, but “dead from the waist down.”

When the priest returned in the morning, he set a crucifix before her fixed eyes. To her sight the room seemed dark, but she could see the crucifix, and she suddenly felt all her pain leave her. She had wanted to understand divine suffering. Instead, in what might be considered the wise and paradoxical grace of the Spirit, over the course of the next twenty-four hours she had sixteen revelations of divine love.

Her revelations began with the Crucifixion, which many people consider the most ghastly part of the whole Gospel. The revelation of the Crucifixion told Julian that God suffers with us and for us. He sees the sacrifices we make - for children, parents, work, freedom, strangers, friends. He understands sacrifice as an expression of love. He hopes that our sacrifices will strengthen and transform us and give us joy. Julian saw and felt that when we reach out to hug another person, and our arms open wide, our body makes the shape of the cross - the cross of love. But having discovered love, she almost immediately disowned her visions.

While Julian was recovering, she described her revelations to the visiting priest. She told him she must have been dreaming or mad. He listened silently then told her what he thought.

http://www.britsattheirbest.com/creative_brits/cr_julian_norwich.htm

For _shepot_vetra_ 

(no subject)

Blessed Julian of Norwich (1343-1423)

    THE DAY OF my spiritual awakening

    was the day I saw

    and knew I saw

    God in all things

    and all things in God.

 

 

    HE ALSO SHOWED ME a little thing, the size of a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand.  It was as round as a ball, as it seemed to me.  I looked at it with the eyes of my understanding and thought, "What can this be?"  My question was answered in general terms in this fashion: "It is everything that is made."  I marveled at how this could be, for it seemed to me that it might suddenly fall into nothingness, it was so small.  An answer for this was given to my understanding: "It lasts, and ever shall last, because God loves it.  And in this fashion all things have their being by the grace of God....  It is necessary for us to know the littleness of creatures in order to reduce them to nothingness in our judgment, so that we may love and have the uncreated God.  The reason we are not fully at ease in heart and soul is because we seek rest within them, and pay no attention to our God, who is Almighty, All-wise, All-good and the only real rest."

 

-Revelations of Divine Love, trans. with an intro. by M.L. del Mastro. 1977.

via mon_kassia 

Вардзия, пещерный город святой царицы Тамар +

via boklomy