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"Our Lord showed me a little thing, the size of a hazel-nut" by Julian of Norwich
Monastic Lectionary of the Divine Office,
A WORD IN SEASON, Reading for the Liturgy
of the Hours. Augustinian Press, 1995
TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY
First Reading
18th
August 2015
Ephesians 2:1-10
Responsory Eph 1:4; Co12:13
God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world t to be holy and blameless in his presence.
V. Although you were dead because of your sins, he has brought you to life with Christ, t to be holy ...
Second Reading
From Revelations of Divine Love
by Julian of Norwich
Our Lord showed me a little thing, the size
of a hazel-nut, on the palm of my hand, round like a ball. I looked at it thoughtfully
and wondered, "What is this?" And the answer came, "It is all
that is made." I marvelled that it continued to exist and did not suddenly
disintegrate; it was so small. And again my mind supplied the answer, "It
exists, both now and forever, because God loves it." In short, everything owes
its existence to the love of God.
In this "little thing" I saw
three truths. The first is that God made it; the second is that God loves it; and
the third is that God sustains it. But what he is who is in truth Maker, Keeper,
and Lover I cannot tell, for until I am essentially united with him I can never
have full rest or real happiness; in other words, until I am so joined to him
that there is absolutely nothing between my God and me. We have got to realize the
littleness of creation and to see it for the nothing that it is before we can
love and possess God who is uncreated. This is the reason why we have no ease of
heart or soul, for we are seeking our rest in trivial things which cannot satisfy,
and not seeking to know God, almighty, all-wise, all-good. He is true rest. It
is his will that we should know him, and his pleasure that we should rest in
him. Nothing less will satisfy us. No soul can rest until it is detached from all
creation. When it is deliberately so detached for love of him who is all, then
only can it experience spiritual rest.
God showed me too the pleasure it gives him
when a simple soul comes to him, openly, sincerely and genuinely. For his goodness
enfolds everyone of his creatures and all his blessed works, eternally and
surpassingly. For he himself is eternity, and has made us for himself alone, has
restored us by his blessed passion, and keeps us in his blessed love. And all because
he is goodness. Our lover desires indeed that our soul should cleave to him
with all its might, and ever hold on to his goodness. Beyond our power to imagine
does this most please God, and speed the soul on its course.
The love of God Most High for our soul
is so wonderful that it surpasses all knowledge. No created being can know the greatness,
the sweetness, the tenderness of the love that our Maker has for us. By his
grace and help therefore let us in spirit stand and gaze, eternally marvelling
at the supreme, surpassing, single-minded, incalculable love that God, who is
goodness, has for us. Then we can ask reverently of our lover whatever we will.
For by nature our will wants God, and the good will of God wants us. We shall
never cease wanting and longing until we possess him in fullness and joy. Then
we shall have no further wants. Meanwhile his will is that we go on knowing and
loving until we are perfected in heaven.
Responsory 1 In 4:9; 3:16
God's love for us was revealed when he sent his only Son into the world, + so that we might have life through him.
V. This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us + so that we ...
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Julian of Norwich (c. 8 November 1342 – c. 1416) was an English anchoress who is regarded as an important Christian mystic. She is venerated in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. Written around 1395, her work, Revelations of Divine Love, is the first book in the English language known to have been written by a woman.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich
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