Julian of Norwich
Begin in silence…
Be still for several minutes and pay attention to your breath. Ask the Lord to make you aware of his presence now and throughout the rest of the day.
Set the scene…
For today’s scene, we visit the town of Norwich, England, in the mid-1300s. An anchoress from there is the first woman to write a book in English. Her name is unknown, so her community calls her by the name of her church, Church of St Julian. She is Julian of Norwich.
Traditionally as a nun with religious orders, an anchoress is a woman who chooses to live alone in a small cell attached to a church for the rest of her life. She has a servant who attends to her needs and protection. There are windows from her cell: one that opens into the church to participate in services, and one that opens to the outside so she can counsel those seeking guidance in her community. Often these women are theologians and spiritual leaders. This role is one of the few women were able to hold in the Church from the 11th to the 16th centuries.