“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27
Mother’s day begins with a divine promise, that God will not forget us, neither will God let anybody to separate us from it’s presence. However, the promise is done under a covenant of love, between God and us. Our God is a God who requires commitment. Jesus requests two things:
a) Hear my voice. Hear the Good News that I bring to the world.
b) and Follow me, through your witness, the world will know you are Christians. (John 13:35)
Have you ever loved someone who kept saying to you: “I love you”, but then don’t show signs of love?
How frustrating is a relationship when it is based in superficial love. Incoherent love has no power to transform the lives of those involved. It is like the seeds scattered in shallow soil; it may show a little signs of life but doesn’t have enough roots to grow strong.
Today the church celebrates a woman who teaches about the importance of deepening our relationship with God. When you love someone, your heart beats in fast pace in his or her presence. Your thoughts aren’t super clear because you want to please the object of your love. However, not understanding the other very well, you trust each other, and you want to spend more time with that person.
All that can apply to our relationship with God. This not-so-clear dynamic of love between us and our Creator is identified by the saints as mysticism. The woman that we celebrate today is Julian of Norwich. She was born in England and became the greatest mystic of the 14th century. She had no intention of becoming someone famous. The only thing she wanted was a deep friendship with God.
Her context isn’t very different than our days. Let’s take a closer look at her story.
She lived during a turbulent time of war between nations and uncertainties in the church. She lived from 1342 until about 1430, turbulent years both for the Church, torn by the schism that followed the Pope’s return to Rome from Avignon, and for the life of the people who were suffering the consequences of a long-drawn-out war between the Kingdoms of England and of France.
She lived during a major pandemic. The Black Death, a viral pandemic in Europe in the 1300's. It killed 50 million people, 60 percent of the population. The first outbreak of the bubonic plague in Norwich was in 1349 when Julian was only six years old and continued for another twenty-one years of sporadic outbreaks in that region.
Then, in May 1373, she was suddenly stricken with a very serious illness that seemed to be carrying her to the grave. After the priest, who hastened to her bedside, had shown her the Crucified One not only did Julian rapidly recover her health but she received the 16 revelations that she subsequently wrote down and commented on in her book, Revelations of Divine Love.
And finally, in the Middle Ages, women didn’t have autonomy over their bodies. That society, that ruled by men, had imposed such constrictions that women had no freedom, however, in that period of time, many women turned to monasteries as places for enlightenment and empowerment. After the mystic experience with the Crucified, she became the first woman to write a book in the English language. A privilege that was only given to men.
In iconography, she is often represented as a nun with her cat. Historians clarify that the cat had a practical purpose, to keep the rats away. Which is still a practice in many countries in our days. However, some theologians believed that she developed a close relationship with her cat, and she is known as both the patron saint of contemplatives and of cats. It is said that Julian and her cat anchored the Light during one of the darkest periods of history. The cat became the representation of a holy companion to Julian.
We now turn to the story in today’s Gospel. The verses that precede this story aren’t shown but it says that the Judaeans were conflicted and divided by the person of Jesus. Often people want to have the answer for their questions in a black-and-white perspective. However, the Gospel of John doesn’t provide those answers, but instead, presents Jesus’ ministry in a more mystical way. There is a lot of symbolic language to explain how God expects us to follow his Son.
The Judaeans are confused. Some are considering following Jesus, and some are upset about his new teachings. So, they question Jesus, wanting a clear answer: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!” (John 10:24b)
Instead of answering plainly, Jesus uses the symbolism of the shepherd and its flock from the promises in the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Scriptures, God is the one who initiates a relationship with us. God seeks us out long before we seek God. Christ makes us his sheep; we do not make him our shepherd. (Look for example Psalm 23)
In this dynamic of becoming God’s sheep, we realize that our senses must be opened to God’s voice, and the liberational words of Jesus. To listen isn’t enough. Tragically, many Christians are unable to follow Jesus steps because it is too hard and they mistake the Good News of Christ by/for philosophical understandings of his message.
In every generation, people find ways of responding to Jesus ‘invitation to follow and serve him.
The Book of Revelation tells us that discipleship develops by passing through a time of great "tribulation," and the Acts of the Apostles is full of warnings that faith communities will be tested by internal divisions even as their very character seems to be challenged by new members from every land.
Julian of Norwich experienced that in her society and through the illness in her body.
This sounds a whole lot like today's world!
However, I want to conclude with words of hope, from Julian of Norwich. Because we belong to God. And God knows well what we are going through. If you we keep Christ as our center, we will see God’s wonders in our lives and we will do wonders in God’s name too.
Credits:
Created with images by chrisdorney - "Mother Julian Sculpture at Norwich Cathedral" • Branislav - "sheep in the field, sheeps, sheeps on nature, nature, sheep", and photo of Church of England procession by Susan Jones. Icon of Julian by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM