God's Promises Greater Than Our Hopes
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Thursday, December 02, 2010 4:00 PM
Continuing his series on women saints, the Pope spoke yesterday about Julian of Norwich.
She’s a good example of “spiritual maternity,” given that she was an anchoress—a hermit living withdrawn from the world—and yet
We know that Julian also received frequent visitors, as attested in the autobiography of another fervent Christian woman of her time, Margery Kempe, who went to Norwich in 1413 to receive suggestions on her spiritual life. This is why when Julian was alive she was called, as is written on the funeral monument that houses her remains, “Mother Julian.” She became a mother for many.
Benedict highlights the maternal imagery Julian uses when describing God’s tenderness towards us:
The subject of divine love returns often in the visions of Julian of Norwich who, with a certain audacity, does not hesitate to compare it also to maternal love. This is one of the most characteristic messages of her mystical theology. Tenderness, solicitude and the gentleness of God’s goodness to us are so great that, to us pilgrims on earth, they evoke the love of a mother for her children. Indeed, at times the biblical prophets also used this language that recalls the tenderness, intensity and totality of the love of God, which manifests itself in creation and in the whole history of salvation and has its culmination in the incarnation of the Son.
It is because she was herself immersed in God’s love that she was able to be “mother” to so many.
Julian of Norwich understood the central message for the spiritual life: God is love and only when we open ourselves totally and with total trust to this love and allow it to become the sole guide of existence, is everything transfigured, true peace and true joy are found and one is able to spread this around.
If God is love, why is there suffering, though?
Saints as well, precisely the saints, ask themselves this question. Enlightened by faith, they give us an answer that opens our heart to trust and hope: In the mysterious designs of Providence, even from evil, God draws a greater good, as Julian of Norwich writes: “I learned by the grace of God that I must remain firmly in the faith, and hence I must firmly and perfectly believe that all will end well.”
That is the “take-home message” of yesterday’s catechesis:
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, God’s promises are always greater than our hopes. If we entrust to God, to his immense love, the most pure and most profound desires of our heart, we will never be disappointed. “And all will be well,” “everything will be for the good”: This is the final message that Julian of Norwich transmits to us and that I also propose to you today.
This series on the women saints is particularly rich. On Saturday I’ll post a lengthier piece with links to and highlights from the entire series for those who might be interested in using them for Advent reflections.
P.S. In the Catholic Church, Julian has not been formally canonized, so she is “Blessed” in spite of what this icon says.
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