All Will be Well

In the next four readings, we move forward several centuries and draw from the wonderful wisdom of four women mystics from England and Europe: Lady Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Theresa of Avila,

and Mechtild of Magdeburg. They all lived in the period some call the Middle Ages, and they bring to us the perspective and experience of women who are also mystics, like Meera of the Hindu tradition, and Rabia of the Sufi tradition. I think it is important to listen to the voices of women, though those that have survived in writing in all the world's historical Wisdom Traditions are in the minority.

The reading for today is by Lady Julian, who lived in Norwich, England and became famous as an anchorite, living enclosed in a room in the local cathedral, where she gave herself to prayer and contemplation, and sat often at her window to talk to the great number of people who came to her for wisdom and consolation.

Here are her words for us too.

"That which is impossible for you is not impossible to Me.

I will preserve My Word in all things and I will make all things well."

Our faith is grounded in God's Word and we must let this trust be.

How God will do this we will no know until it is done,

because God wants us to be at ease and at peace,

not troubled or kept from enjoying God.

The fulness of joy is to behold God in everything.

God is the ground, the substance, the teaching, the teacher, the purpose,

and the reward for which every soul labors.

My own failures will not hinder the workings of God's goodness.

As long as we are in this life and find ourselves foolishly dwelling on what is wrong,

our God tenderly touches us and joyfully calls us, saying

"Let all your love be, my child.

Turn to Me. I am everything you need.

Enjoy Me and your liberation."

True thanking is to enjoy God.

Thanking is a true understanding of who we really are.

With reverence and awe we turn ourselves around

towards the working that our good God incites us to do,

enjoying and thanking with our real selves.

God does not want us to be burdened because of sorrows and tempests

that happen in our lives,

because it has always been so before miracles happen.

Let us remember that God is everything good,

and the goodness that everything possesses is God.

God wants us to allow ourselves to see God continually.

For God wants to be seen and wants to be sought,

awaited, and trusted.

My prayer of response:

If the fulness of joy is to see You, Good God, in everything, then open my eyes to behold You

not just in what is beautiful and seems good, but also in those people and situations which trouble me.

And help me remember that whenever I do see beauty, it is your face, and goodness too.

I thank You with all my heart for the ability to enjoy You in this and many other ways.

I thank You that I am truly your beloved, your child, your image.

I thank You for inciting me to work for goodness' sake,

and to remember, when things are difficult, that nothing is impossible to You,

and that I can trust that Your promise is true that all will be well.

Amen.