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by Sr. Carolyn Miguel, OSB
For more information:
Sr. Teresa
Jackson, OSB
Spirituality Outreach Ministry
Monastery of St. Gertrude
465 Keuterville Road
Cottonwood, ID 83522-5183
(208) 962-3224
FAX: (208) 962-7212
e-mail: outreachretreats@hotmail.com
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Praying With Julian of Norwich
Day 6: Julian’s Teachings:
The Motherhood of Christ
In some of her later showings she stretches our understanding and images of
God, especially of Jesus, by calling Jesus our mother. In a culture that tended
to think of God as a distant and often angry king and judge, Julian used images
of Jesus as a loving, comforting mother.
"Our high Father, almighty God, who is being, knew us and loved us before any time. From this knowing in His most
marvelous deep charity, He willed that the Second Person should become our mother, our brother, and our savior, by
the foreseeing endless counsel of all the blessed Trinity.
From this it follows that, as truly God is our Father, so truly is God our mother. Our Father wills, our mother works,
and our good Lord the Holy Spirit confirms." ch. 59
Julian then related the suffering and death of Christ to what a mother goes
through.
"We realize that all our mothers bear us for pain and for
dying, and what is that? But our true mother, Jesus - All love –
alone bears us for joy and for endless living, blessed may he be! Thus he sustains us within himself in love and hard labor, until the
fullness of time." ch 60
Julian lived in a time when people’s images of God and their spirituality
tended to be very negative. There was a lot of emphasis on hell, damnation, and
sin. Hers was a time when people had a deep of fear of God, and a time of
tremendous problems in the Church. In the midst of this we see a woman who spent
most of her adult life isolated yet who has had a tremendous impact throughout
history. Both in her era and in our times she gives an image of God that
continues to be extremely powerful even in our day, an image of God who is
tender, loving and consoling. Julian’s experiences are ones that we can
continue to learn and grow from today.
Exercise:
-Try doing lectio divina with these passages as with the
previous days.
-Also, reflect on your reaction to Julian’s images of Christ as
mother. Are they comforting? Upsetting? Strange? Explore your reactions, what do
they tell you about your images and feelings about God. How might these images
be calling you to stretch and grow in your faith journey?
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Benedictine
Sisters, Monastery of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho
