Julian of Norwich, Her Showings and Its Contexts, Website © Julia Bolton Holloway, 1997; 'Julian at Prayer', 1999

JULIAN AT PRAYER

IN A LAMBETH PALACE MANUSCRIPT

{There have been numerous books on 'Praying with Julian'. Here we may have her prayers, rather than ours. They are rather like the Carmelite Brother Lawrence's sense of practising the presence of God. These prayers are in a collection that came to be owned by Syon Abbey, written by the same person as who wrote the Norwich Castle Manuscript. She has a squarish hand and dots her ys like is to distinguish them for her thorns. Its English contemplative prayers echo Julian's own contemplative theology in numerous ways:

The corrector's hand in the '1413' Amherst Manuscript (A), is also similar to that in the Norwich Castle Manuscript (N), and to this manuscript, now in Lambeth Palace Library, 3600 (L), a manuscript with a date of circa 1420, with English rubrics and Latin and English contemplative prayers at folios 59v-66v. It was taken by Syon Abbey into exile to Dendermonde, 1539-1557.

[Keep your gaze on Christ, seeing him as God and as man. And fasten your spiritual sight more upon his Godhead than upon his manhood, considering how by his majesty and almighty power everything is brought forth and given being as born of a father. By his endless wisdom all things are governed, by his infinite goodness all things are kept, and after his goodly ordering. See also how by his wisdom on the Cross he has destroyed death and all the power of the devil. And that he has given us power by virtue of his Passion in the same Cross if we will turn ourselves to it, to overcome all our spiritual enemies. See them as present in his sight, in the worship of his five wounds.]

[Good Lord, I appear before you as a wretched beggar, before one of great riches and superabundant treasure, beseeching you to make me partner of the most precious treasure and riches of your mercy and grace.]

[O good Lord, I am here before you as a servant before his Lord, desiring to be fed with the most wholesome food of your precious body of flesh, blood and bone. That is to say, sweet Jesus, for your great goodness, mercy and grace, make me partner spiritually of the profitable and fruitful effects and graces of that most honourable Sacrament of your most precious body and blood, which is daily offered in your Church. In honour of you and your blessed Mother and Virgin, with all your holy Saints, for the sins and offenses of all sinner that are living in this world, and for the deliverance, quietude and rest of all faithful souls that lie in painful purgatory. And also give me, good Lord, the profitable garment of charity that hides and covers a multitude of sins.

[Merciful Jesus, I kneel here before you as a guilty thief before his fearful Judge, meekly praying you to be a mild and merciful Judge to me in the most fearful hour of death, when my wretched soul shall depart.]

[See, I am here before the Lord my God as one friend [can't understand this part] before another, desiring that your infinite charity may draw me to you. And so to One and so knit me to your love that I may never be departed nor separated from you.]

[O my Lord God, I am here before you as a child, like a child before his father, beseeching you of your great fatherly goodness, mercy and grace to make me partner of your fatherly inheritance in the heavenly joy and bliss that shall never have end. Amen.

[Behold then, Our Lady, as present and glorified in the sight of her Son. Make her mediator and instrument of salvation for all humankind.]

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