Monday, September 24, 2007

God Rejoices in Us

And then our good Lord opened my spiritual eye, and showed me my soul in the midst of my heart. I saw the soul as wide as if it were an endless citadel, and also as if it were a blessed kingdom, and from the state which I saw in it, I understood that it is a fine city.

In the midst of that city sits our Lord Jesus, true God and true man, a handsome person and tall, highest bishop, most awesome king, most honourable lord. And I saw him splendidly clad in honours. He sits erect there in the soul, and he rules and guards heaven and earth and everything that is. The humanity and the divinity sit at rest, the divinity rules and guards, without instrument or effort. And the soul is wholly occupied by the blessed divinity, sovereign power, sovereign wisdom and sovereign goodness.

The place which Jesus takes in our soul he will nevermore vacate, for in us is his home of homes and his everlasting dwelling. And in this he revealed the delight that he has in the creation of [our] soul; for as well as the Father could create a creature and as well as the Son could create a creature, so well did the Holy Spirit want [our] spirit to be created, and so it was done. And therefore the blessed Trinity rejoices without end in the creation of [our] soul, for it saw without beginning what would delight it without end.

Julian of Norwich, Showings, Long Text, chapter 68.

(Paulist, 1978, tr. Colledge and Walsh, pp. 312-313).

2 comments:

Dr. Laura Marie Grimes said...

Thank you for your kindness and prayers as I birthed into eternal life our fourth child, Julian Grimes-Honkanen, in whose honor and memory I post this passage today. Our family is very grateful for the support as we move through this grief so little acknowledged in both church and society.

Please pray also for my goddaughter Claire, who is 12 and having a difficult time finding friendship and connection as she transitions to middle school. And for my friend Amy as she supports Claire as a single mom and longs for a loving partner of her own.

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Just back to read this, M.L. Praying now for you, dear sister, and for the requests. Thanks for your prayers for me too. :-)