2016 St. James' Women's Retreat Booklet

St. James’ Women’s Retreat

May 20-21, 2016Serra Retreat Center, Malibu

God of Thy goodness,give me Thyself;

for Thou art enough to me,and I can ask nothing that is lessthat can be full honor to Thee.

And if I ask anything that is less,ever shall I be in want,

for only in Thee have I all.

Julian of Norwich

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St. James’ Women’s RetreatSerra Retreat Center, Malibu

May 20-21, 2016

Schedule

Friday

Serra Retreat open for check-in at 2:00 p.m.Free time until dinner

Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer in Chapel at 7:00 p.m.

Reflections on Julian of Norwich (Chapel)

Refreshments (Rindge Room)

Saturday

Breakfast at 8:00

Morning Prayer and Meditation at 9:00(Rindge Room)

Reflections on Julian of Norwich (Rindge Room)

Free time

Lunch at noon

Reflections on Julian of Norwich (Rindge Room)

Closing Eucharist (Chapel)

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Julian of Norwich (1342-1419)

Julian of Norwich is considered to be one of the greatest English mystics and the first known female writer in English. Little is known of her life aside from her writings. The name "Julian" itself comes from the Church of Saint Julian in Norwich, where she occupied a cell adjoining the church.

At the age of 30, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions. They ended by the time she overcame her illness on May 13, 1373. These visions, 20 years later, would be the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (c. 1393). It is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language. Julian became well known throughout England as a spiritual authority. Margery Kempe, perhaps the earliest autobiographer in English, mentions going to Norwich to speak with Julian.

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In midlife, Julian went to live in an anchorage—a small solitary cell—next to St. Julian’s church in Norwich, dedicating herself to prayer and dwelling next to the church until the end of her life. The majority of anchorites (coming from the Greek, meaning “to withdraw”) in Julian’s time were, like Julian, women from the Norfolk region of England. Traditionally, an anchorage was a small cell—sometimes just one room—with three windows. One window opened to the church, where an anchoress could hear the daily mass. Another window opened onto a servant’s quarters, through which daily life transpired. A third window opened onto a small porch, through which the anchoress received visitors who came for advice and spiritual direction.

Julian lived in a tumultuous time. The Black Death was raging in Europe. The first such plague occurred when she was only six years old. Some scholars think that Julian may have been married, and could have lost her husband and children in the plagues that followed; she certainly saw many around her die. The road beside Saint Julian's Church was used to remove the bodies of the dead from subsequent plagues, and she probably heard the carts rumble by. The Hundred Years' War between England and France had begun in 1337, as did the papal schism in which two popes each suspected the other of heresy. Famine and cattle disease contributed to the forces that caused the Peasants' Revolt. Julian must have been keenly aware of the suffering of the time. Yet, in the midst of this, when many either despaired of God’s wrath or of God’s seeming absence, she articulated a powerful vision of God’s mercy, love, and compassion.

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Selections from Julian’s Revelation #5

At this same time…our good Lord showed to me a spiritual vision of His simple loving. I saw which He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us. He is our clothing that for love enwraps us, holds us, and all encloses us because of His tender love, so that He may never leave us.

And so in this showing I saw that He is to us everything that is good, as I understood it.

Also in this revelation He showed a little thing, the size of a hazel nut in the palm of my hand, and it was as round as a ball. I looked at it with the eye of my understanding and thought, “What can this be?” And it was generally answered thus: “It is all that is made.”

I marveled how it could continue, because it seemed to me it could suddenly have sunk into nothingness because of its littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: “It continueth and always shall, because God loveth it; and in this way everything hath its being by the love of God.”

In this little thing I saw three characteristics: the first is that God made it, the second is that God loves it, the third is that God keeps it.

But what did I observe in that? Truly the Maker, the Lover, and the Keeper, for, until I am in essence one-ed to Him, I can never have full rest nor true joy (that is to say, until I am made so fast to Him that there is absolutely nothing that is created separating my God and myself).

It is necessary for us to have awareness of the littleness of created things and to set at naught everything that is created, in order to love and have God who is uncreated.

For this is the reason why we are not fully at ease in heart and soul: because here we seek rest in these things that are so little, in which there is no rest, and we recognize not our God who is all powerful, all wise, all good, for He is the true rest.

God wishes to be known, and He delights that we remain in Him, because all that is less than He is not enough for us.

And this is the reason why no soul is at rest until it is emptied of everything that is created.

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When the soul is willingly emptied for love in order to have Him who is all, then is it able to receive spiritual rest.

Also our Lord God showed that it is full great pleasure to Him that an innocent soul come to Him nakedly and plainly and simply. For this is the natural yearning of the soul, thanks to the touching of the Holy Spirit, according to the understanding that I have in this showing—

God of Thy goodness, give me Thyself;for Thou art enough to me,and I can ask nothing that is lessthat can be full honor to Thee.And if I ask anything that is less,ever shall I be in want,for only in Thee have I all.

These words are full lovely to the soul and most nearly touch upon the will of God and His goodness, for His goodness fills all His creatures and all His blessed works, and surpasses them without end, for He is the endlessness.

And He has made us only for Himself and restored us by His blessed passion and ever keeps us in His blessed love.

And all this is from His goodness.

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For Reflection:

Julian observes that God “is our clothing that for love enwraps us, holds us, and all encloses us because of God’s tender love, so that God may never leave us.” Is this an understanding of God that is encouraging to you? Challenging?

Julian describes a hazelnut and reflects that “God made it, God loves it, God keeps it,” and that this is true for all created things—including us. How does it change how you go through your day if you understand yourself (and those with whom you live and work) to be held in God’s hands?

Julian draws images from everyday life in describing God’s relationship to us—for example, in Julian’s day, “the size of a hazel nut” was a measuring term for cooking.

Are there images from your own life that teach you about God’s love? This weekend, invite God to speak to you through the circumstances of your daily life.


After this God showed a most excellent spiritual pleasure in my soul: I was completely filled with everlasting certainty, powerfully sustained without any painful fear. This feeling was so joyful and so spiritual that I was wholly at peace, at ease, and in response, and there was nothing on earth that would have grieved me.

This lasted only awhile, and I was changed and left to myself in such sadness and weariness of my life, and annoyance with myself, that scarcely was I able to have patience to live. There was no comfort nor any ease for me except faith, hope, and love, and these I held in truth (but very little in feeling).

And immediately after this, our Blessed Lord gave me again the comfort and the rest in my soul, in delight and in security so blissful and so powerful that no fear, no sorrow, no bodily pain that could be suffered would have distressed me.

And then the pain showed again to my feeling, and then the joy and the delight, and now the one, and now the other, various times—I suppose about twenty times.

And in the times of joy, I could have said with Saint Paul: “Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ.” (Romans 8:38).

And in the pain I could have said with Peter: “Lord, save me, I perish.” (Matthew 8:25).

…God wants us to know that God protects us equally surely in woe and in well.

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For Reflection:

Julian very openly discusses the ups and downs of her own spiritual life, demonstrating that both joy and struggle are part of relationship with God. What perspective does she offer on good and bad times?

Julian quotes two scriptures that she draws upon: Romans 8:38-39 and Matthew 8:23-27. Take some time with each of these scriptures this weekend…which one resonates with you and how you relate to God right now?

Romans 8: 38-39For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 8:23-27And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”


Then, with a glad expression, our Lord looked into His wounded side and gazed with joy, and with His sweet gazing He directed the understanding of His creature through that same wound into His side within.

There He showed a fair, desirable place, and large enough for all humankind that shall be saved to rest in peace and love.

And with that He brought to mind His dearworthy blood and precious water which He allowed to pour all out for love.

And with the sweet sight He showed His blessed heart cloven in two.

And with this sweet rejoicing, He showed to my understanding, in part, the blessed Godhead, strengthening the pure soul to understand (in so far as it can be expressed) that this Heart is to signify the endless love that was without beginning, and is, and shall be always.

With this our good Lord said most blissfully, “Lo, how I loved thee.” (as if He had said: “My dear one, behold and see that the Lord, thy God, who is thy Creator and thine endless Joy; see thine own Brother, thy Savior; my child, behold and see what delight and bliss I have in thy salvation, and for my love, enjoy it now with me”).

Also for further understanding this blessed word was said: “Lo, how I loved thee. Behold and see that I loved thee so much before I died for thee that I was willing to die for thee; and that now I have died for thee, and suffered willingly what I can. And now is all my bitter pain and all my cruel labor changed to endless joy and bliss for me and for thee. How should it now be that thou wouldst pray for anything that pleases me, and I would not most gladly grant it thee? For my pleasure is thy holiness, and thine endless joy and bliss with Me.”

This is the understanding, as simply as I can express it, of this blessed word: “Lo, how I loved thee.”

This our good Lord showed in order to make us glad and happy.

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For Reflection:

When Julian describes the way that Jesus sees us, she sums it up with the words, “Lo, how I loved thee.” She expands on this by envisioning that Jesus is saying these words:

“My dear one, behold and see that the Lord, thy God, who is thy Creator and thine endless Joy; see thine own Brother, thy Savior; my child, behold and see what delight and bliss I have in thy salvation, and for my love, enjoy it now with me..”

Take some time to “behold” Jesus this weekend, and allow Him to behold you. Do you understand Jesus to be one who takes delight in you?


One time our good Lord said: “All manner of things shall be well”; and another time He said: “Thou shalt see for thyself that all manner of thing shall be well”; and from these two sentences the soul recognized several implications:

One was this: He wishes us to be aware that not only does He take heed to noble and great things, but also to little and small things, to lowly and simple things, both to one and to the other; and so means He in that He says, “All manner of thing shall be well”; for He wills that we be aware that the least little thing shall not be forgotten.

Another understanding is this: that, from our point of view, there are many deeds evilly done and such great harm given that it seems to us that it would be impossible that ever it should come to a good end; and we look upon this, sorrowing and turning because of it, so that we cannot take our ease in the joyful beholding of God as we would like to do; and the cause is this: that the use of our reason is now so blind…that we cannot know the exalted, wondrous Wisdom, the Power, and the Goodness of the blessed Trinity. And this is what He means when He says, “Thou shalt see for thyself that all manner of things shall be well,” as if He said, “Pay attention to this now, faithfully and trustingly; and at the last end thou shalt see it in fulness of joy.”

And thus, in these same previous five words: “I am able to make everything well, etc.” I interpret a mighty comfort about all the deeds of our Lord God that are still to come…

For as the blessed Trinity created all things from nothing, just so the same blessed Trinity shall make well all that is not well.

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For Reflection:

“All manner of thing shall be well” is one of Julian’s best known phrases. She was not one who said this naively. During her lifetime, the Black Death, a form of bubonic plague, struck England three times (when Julian was ages six, eighteen, and twenty seven), and her hometown of Norwich was struck particularly hard.

Robert Llewelyn, a scholar of Julian, reflects, “‘All Shall be Well and All Shall be Well and All Manner of Thing Shall be Well.’ These are probably the only words…which most people know as coming from the writings of Julian of Norwich. Many of us may use them from time to time, though perhaps not always wisely, for there is a danger lest they fall too easily—even glibly—from our lips. Uprooted from their context, they can be used as the expression of a sunny optimism, whereas Julian intended them as an assurance of the ultimate victory of love. They were born of much travail, their gestation period being one of physical suffering, temptation and spiritual anguish. We can use them safely only if we can make them our own, not just in the serene and happy periods of life, but when the foundations are shaken—in times of pain, doubt, depression, darkness and fear.”

In one of her revelations, Julian adds, “God did not say you shall not be tempest-tossed, you shall not be work-weary, you shall not be discomforted. But God did say ‘You shall not be overcome.’ God wants us to heed these words so that we shall always be strong in trust, both in sorrow and in joy.”

Where is God inviting you to trust?


God reminded me that I would sin; and because of the delight that I had in gazing upon Him, I did not pay heed quickly to that showing. And our Lord most mercifully waited and gave me grace to listen. (And this showing I received particularly to myself, but by all the gracious comfort that follows, as you shall see, I was taught to accept it on behalf of all my fellow Christians—all in general, and nothing in particular.) Though our Lord showed me that I would sin, by “me alone” is meant “all.”

And in this I perceived a gentle anxiety, and to this our Lord answered: “I keep thee full safely.” This word was said with more love and steadiness and spiritual protection than I know how or am able to tell.

And it was shown that I would sin, in just the same way was the comfort shown—safety and protection for all fellow Christians.

What can make me love my fellow Christians more than to see in God that He loves all that shall be saved as if they were all one soul? For in every soul that shall be saved is a divine will that never consented to sin nor ever shall; just as there is a savage will in the lower part of humanity which can will no good, so too, there is a divine will in the higher part of humanity which will is so good that it can never will evil, but always good, and because of that we are what He loves and endlessly we do what delights Him.

And this our Lord showed in the completeness of love in which we stand in His sight—yea, that He loves us now as well while we are here as He shall when we are there before His blessed face.

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For Reflection:

Does anything surprise you about how Julian discusses sin?

Consider this quote: “And this our Lord showed in the completeness of love in which we stand in His sight—yea, that He loves us now as well while we are here as He shall when we are there before His blessed face.”

Robert Llewelyn reflects, “Into a climate of theological cheerlessness and doom Julian’s message burst like a joyous song. [She understood that] if the image of God were seriously distorted, we could not but feel hopelessness and despair. But everything she saw [in her visions] witnessed to a God far removed from the popular conception around her. God’s graciousness, Julian pleaded, could be counted upon in all the occasions of life, and not least in our ‘failing’ and ‘falling’ and ‘dying,’ for here too ‘the sweet eye of pity is never turned away from us, and the operation of mercy does not cease’…our falling, Julian might well have said, is not so much falling into sin as a falling into the arms of God’s mercy.”

How do you think God “sees” you? What is your understanding of God?


Before ever God made us, God loved us, and when we were created we loved God. And this is a love created by the natural essential goodness of the Holy Spirit, mighty by reason of the Power of the Father, and wise in reminder of the Wisdom of the Son, and thus is our soul made by God and at the same moment knit to God.

Thus I understand that our soul is created out of nothing—that is to say it is created, but out of nothing that has been created, like this: when God wished to create man’s body, God took the slime of earth …and out of that God created man’s body. But for the creating of our soul, He willed to take absolutely nothing, but God created it.

And thus is the human nature created rightfully one-ed to the Creator—who is Essential Nature Uncreated: that is, God.

And therefore it is that there can, and will be, absolutely nothing separating God and our souls.

In this endless love our souls are kept whole…in this endless love we are led and protected by God and never shall be lost, for God wishes us to be aware that our soul has a life which, of God’s goodness and grace, shall last in heaven without end, loving Him, thanking Him, praising Him.

And just as we shall exist without end, so too we were treasured in God, and hidden, known, and loved from without beginning.

Wherefore, God wishes us to be aware that the noblest being that ever God made is humankind (and the fullest essence and the highest virtue is the blessed soul of Christ.)

Furthermore, God wishes us to be aware that humanity’s dear worthy soul was preciously knit to Him in the creation—and this knot is subtle and so powerful that it is one-ed into God. In this one-ing it is made endlessly holy.

Furthermore, God wishes us to be aware that all the souls that shall be saved in heaven without end are knit and one-ed in this one-ing and made holy in this holiness.

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For Reflection:

Julian uses the image of our souls being created and “knit” to God simultaneously. The image of knitting is one more way that Julian draws from everyday life, and it is how she expands upon her unique phrase of being “one-ed” to God. How does this image strike you?

Julian attributes our ability to love God as the work of the Holy Spirit. How can we cultivate a life that is connected to God through the Spirit?

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said, “Sustaining ‘life in the spirit’ under pressure, I think, has rather a lot to do with retaining the ability to say to God, ‘Tell me who I am.’ Because I’m not going to settle with what everybody else is telling me—I’m not even going to settle with what I’m telling me. I’d like to hear from you…I’d like to hear you saying my name…[but] the real problem in prayer, the real difficulties arise, not with the absence of God, but with the absence of me. It’s not that God isn’t there, it’s nine times out of ten that I’m not.”

This weekend, invite God to speak to you about who you are, and show you more about who God is.

Prayers on the Morn

Morning AcclamationLeader Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord.Community Living Flame, re.ine us,

Cleansing wind, blow through us,Fountain of water, well up within us,That we may love and praise in deed and truth!

Word A Reader offers this reading from Genesis 1:3-‐5

God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared.God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, and named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning-‐-‐Day One.

PrayerLeader In boldness we pray,Community O Gracious God; your name be hallowed

your reign spread among us; your will be done well at all times, in all places; on earth, as in heavenGive us the bread we need for todayForgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against usLet us not fail in time of our testing

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Spare us from trials too sharp to endureFree us from the grip of all evil powersFor yours is the reign, the power, and the glorythe victory of love, for time and eternityworld without end, so be it. Amen.

A Reading from Scripture

Reflection

PrayerLeader In the power of the Spirit

and in union with Christ,let us pray to God:For the peace of the whole worldfor the welfare of the Church,and for the unity of all,and especially for the places we now name...let us pray to God.

All Lord, have mercy.

Leader For South Pasadena, for the Franciscan Friars and staffat Serra Retreat,for the people of Los Angeles,let us pray to God.


Leader For healing for those who are sick and strength for those who are suffering,for the lonely and those without hope,let us pray to God.We especially pray for those we now name...Together we pray,

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Prayers on the Morn

Leader For those who have died, especially those we now name…Remembering all who have gone before us in faith,and in communion with all the saints,we commit ourselves, one another,and our whole life to Christ our God.Together we pray,


Leader Creator of the universe, inNinite and glorious,you give us laws to save us from our folly;give us eyes to see your plan unfolding,your purpose emerging as the world is made; give us courage to follow the truthcourage to go wherever you lead;then we shall know blessings beyond our dreams;then will your will be done.

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Prayers on the Morn

Community Almighty and everlasting God,we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day;keep us from falling into sin or running into danger,and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes.

Holy and enabling Spirit,give wings to our prayers.May those we support and cherish with our lovereceive your grace to help them in their need. Amen.

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Be Present Here

InvocationLeader The angels of God guard us

through the night,Community and quieten the powers of darkness.Leader The Spirit of God be our guideCommunity to lead us to peace and to glory.

Leader Jesus said to the disciples,"Were you not able to stay awake for one hour?Keep watch all of you, and pray that you will not fail in time of testing."

Leader Our help is in the name of the eternal God,Community who is making the heavens and the earth.

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Prayer at Night's ApproachingThanksgiving

Leader Beloved God,thank you for all that is good,for calling us to be women of vision and of prayer,for the gifts of life and of one another,[for the people and events of this day][for all that you have given us through Jesus of Nazareth]for your Love, unbounded and eternal...

O thou, Most and Beloved,Community My companion,

My Desert Breadmy Guide upon the Way.

Recognition

Leader We confess our unfaithfulness:

Community our pride, hypocrisy and impatience;our self-‐indulgent appetites and ways;our exploitation of other people;the violence, envy, and ruthless greed in our hearts and deeds;our neglect of prayer, and our failure to live our faith.

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Leader God of holiness, we tremble in your presence.You show us how far we have wandered into a land that is waste,you face us with the truth of our lack of love,you uncover the layers of our illusions,you pierce us with the sword that heals,you embrace us with a purging Nire,you refuse to let us go.

Community God of holiness, we tremble in your presence.

PsalmLeader Out of the depths I have called to you, O God:

O God of compassion, hear my voice.

Community Open your heart to me, my cry wells within me.If you keep account of my sins, I cannot stand.

Leader But there is forgiveness with you, your way is my life.

Community I wait for you, my God, my soul waits for you.I wait with my heart, I hope for your word.

Leader I look for you as a sentry looks for the morning,more I say than a sentry for the morning.

Community For you will ful.ill your promise to rescue me,you will free me from the grip of evil.

Leader I put my trust in you, O God of mercy and compassion.

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Prayer at Night's ApproachingA Reading from ScriptureReflectionHymn

Guide Us

CanticleLeader Preserve us dear God, while waking,

and guard us while sleeping,that awake we may watch with Christ,and asleep rest in peace.

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Community Praise be to God, I have lived to see this day.God's promise is ful.illed, and my duty done.At last you have given me peace,For I have seen with my own eyesThe salvation you have prepared for all nations,A light to the world in its darkness,And the glory of your people Israel.Glory to God, sustaining, redeeming, sanctifying, in the beginning, now, and for ever.Amen.

Silence.Prayer

Leader Lord have mercy.Community Christ have mercy.Leader Lord have mercy.

Leader I will lie down in peace and take my rest,Community for it is in God alone that I dwell unafraid.Leader Let us bless the Life-‐Giver, the Pain-‐Bearer,

the Love-‐Maker;Community let us praise and exalt God above all

for ever.

Leader Lighten our darkness, we ask of you, dear God,and in your great mercy strengthen usto face all perils and dangers of this night;for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

The divine Spirit dwells in us:Community Thanks be to God.

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For Reflection Lord,

it is night.

The night is for stillness.Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.What has been done has been done;what has not been done has not been done;let it be.

The night is dark.Let our fears of the darknessof the worldand of our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.Let the quietness of your peaceenfold us,all dear to us,and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.Let us look expectantly to a new day,new joys,new possibilities.In your name we pray. Amen.

Eucharist

Celebrant The Lord be with youCommunity and also with you.Celebrant Lift up your hearts.Community We lift them to the Lord.Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.Community It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Celebrant Blessed are you, Lord God, our light and our salvation; to you be glory and praise.Because in the mystery of the Word made Nlesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. You gave us breath and speech, that with angels and archangels and all the powers of heaven we may Nind a voice to sing your praise:

Community Holy, holy, holy Lord,God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Eucharist

Celebrant How wonderful the works of your hands, O Lord. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, you embraced a people as your own. When they turned away and rebelledyour love remained steadfast. From them you raised up Jesus our Savior, born of Mary, to be the living bread,in whom all our hungers are satisNied.He offered his life for sinners, and with a love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine;and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you; this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

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Celebrant Therefore, let us proclaim the mystery of faith:

Community Dying you destroyed our death,rising you restore our life: Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Celebrant Pour out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you these gifts of your creation: this bread and this wine; that they may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

Community Blessing and honor and glory and powerbe yours for ever and ever. Amen.

Celebrant In boldness we pray,Community Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.

Celebrant We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Community Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

Celebrant God's holy gifts for God's holy people.

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Eucharist

Post Communion Prayer

Community God of all, we give you thanks and praise,that when we were still far offyou met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ's body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we who the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us .irm in the hope you have set before us,so we and all your children shall be free,and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing and Dismissal

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FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

St. Cyril (c. 315-387) was a Bishop of Jerusalem beginning in c. 350. This is an excerpt from his sermon on John 5:2-15 (the healing of the disabled man at the Pools of Bethesda).

Jesus approached the sick man. Uninvited, the doctor visited the patient. It should not surprise us that he visited the man lying by the pool, since he came down to us uninvited from heaven. “Do you want to be cured?” he asked him. With this question he led him on to knowledge and caused him to question in his turn. This was a great and gracious gift. He could not pay the fee, so he had a voluntary healer. “Yes, Lord,” he replied. “My years of suffering have made me long for health. I do long for it, but I have no The Pools of Bethesdaone to help me into the pool.”

Do not be downcast, my friend, because you have no one. You have God standing beside you, who is in one respect man, in another God…”Rise up,” Jesus, the Resurrection, has told you. For the Savior is everything for everyone everywhere: bread for the hungry, water for the thirsty, resurrection for the dead, a physician for the sick, redemption for the sinner.

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From another sermon by Cyril...

Let us drink of living waters, welling up to eternal life. This our Savior said about the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive…

Why did he call the grace of the Holy Spirit water? Because water is the substance of everything. Water produces green and living things. The water of the showers that come down from heaven falls as one thing, and produces many effects. Yet one source waters the whole of paradise; one and the same rain falls everywhere, and becomes white in the lily, red in the rose, purple in violets and hyacinths, and something different in all the different species…adapting itself to the things that receive it, it becomes what is suitable to each. Likewise the Holy Spirit is one and indivisible, giving grace to each one as the Spirit wishes…

The Spirit’s coming is gentle, his presence fragrant, his yoke light. Rays of light and knowledge anticipate the Spirit’s appearing. He comes with the feelings of a true guardian. For the Spirit comes to save and heal, to teach and correct, to strengthen and console, to give light to the mind—first to that of the one who receives the Spirit, then, through the Sprit, to the minds of others.

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Lord, you are my Lord and my God,and I have never seen you.

You have created and re-created me,all the good I have comes from you,

and still I do not know you.I was created to see you,

and I have not yet accomplishedthat for which I was made…

Let me discern your light,whether from afar or from the depths.

Teach me to seek you,and as I seek you, show yourself to me,

for I cannot seek you unless you show me how,and I will never find you

unless you show yourself to me.Let me seek you by desiring you,and desire you by seeking you,let me find you by loving you,and love you in finding you.

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

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My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton, Thoughts on Solitude

Holy Spirit,making life alive,

moving in all things,You are the source of all creation and all beings.

Holy Spirit,cleansing the world of every impurity,

forgiving guilt,anointing wounds,

glistening,You are commendable.

You are Life.

You awaken and reawaken everything that is.

Hildegard of Bingen, Book of Divine Works

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If we were on a boat and were thrown some ropes attached to a rock so as to be rescued, it is clear that we would not be drawing the rock to ourselves. Rather, we, and with us the boat, would be hauled in towards the rock…And that is why…we must begin by prayer, not to draw towards ourselves that Power which is at one and the same time everywhere and nowhere, but to place ourselves in God’s hands and be united to God.

Denis (fifth century), Syrian monk, mystic, and teacherPrayer: Personal and Liturgical

Let each one of us look for the experience of grace in the contemplation of our life, but not so that we can say: there it is; I have it. One cannot “find” it so as to claim it triumphantly as one’s own possession. One can only look for it by forgetting oneself; one can only find it by seeking God and giving oneself to God in a love which forgets self, and without still returning to oneself.

Karl Rahner, “Reflections on the Experience of Grace,” inTheological Investigations, vol. 3

Eternal God,we bear your name, your imprint.

You have impressed your Son,your likeness, on us and we are yours.

We ask youthat we may be like him,

that we may mirror your existenceand reflect your grace

in all our human contacts,as Christ our brother did

in serving this worldtoday and every day,

forever and ever.

Peter van Breemen, S.J., The God Who Won’t Let Go

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2016 St. James' Women's Retreat Booklet