Opening Prayer
I behold the “littleness” of all that is made—the whole world like a hazelnut in my hand—and I marvel that it lasts only because Thou lovest it. Deliver me from seeking ease in things that are too small to satisfy the soul. I recognize that Thou art the true Rest, and that my heart will remain restless until it is emptied of everything but Thy goodness.
I petition Thee for the ability to count all created things as “nothing” so that I may find my true rest in Thee, the Uncreated God. Grant me the grace to love the One who is Everything and to find my peace in Thy preservation of all that exists. Empty my soul of the little things so that it may be filled with Thy infinity.
Amen.
Luke 11:27-28
27And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. 28But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.
Blessed Julian of Norwich
Blessed Julian of Norwich saw the whole of creation as a little thing the size of a hazel nut. It lasts only because God loves it. This Mystical insight teaches us that anything less than God won’t satisfy us. This aligns with the Church Fathers‘ view of the “mystery of God’s nature”. In the Mystical Body, we are “restless until we rest in Him”. This rest is found in the Eucharist, the “food for the soul” that is God Himself. To love the “Uncreated”, we must count all creation as nothing.
Julian identifies three properties of creation: God made it, God loves it, and God preserves it. However, the soul can only find “spiritual rest” when it “counts all creation as nothing” for the sake of the “Almighty, All-wise, All-good” God. She notes that we seek rest in “things that are so little,” which is the cause of our unease.
“This is everything that is made… It lasts, and it shall always last, because God loves it. And so everything has its existence through the love of God.”
— Blessed Julian of Norwich
Mary and the Magisterium
Mary is the one who “hid herself even in the abyss of nothingness” through her humility, and thus was “exalted” by God. The Magisterium, through the Bishop, ensures we “worship and serve God” correctly. The Bishop preserves the unity of the flock by teaching us not to “set our hearts” upon the “hazel nut” of created gifts. Mary, as the “Treasure of the Lord”, helps us find the “true Rest” that is her Son.
- With what "little things" am I currently trying to fill the Infinite void in my heart?
- How can I "empty" my soul today to make room for the "Everything"?
Closing Prayer
My almighty, all-wise, all-good Father: If I should gain everything except you, I would have nothing.
Amen.
