Friday 28 November 2014
Saturday 24 March 2012
Peaceful Penmon Inspires a Deepening Faith
Peaceful Penmon
Priory Anglesey Inspires a Deepening Faith.
Seriol
monastery was founded in the 6th Century by St. Seriol in Penmon,
Anglesey, North Wales. It is set in a remote and peaceful part of the Island
with beautiful views. One of the oldest surviving buildings there is St.
Seriol’s Holy well. The well is thought to have healing powers and has been
visited down the centuries by pilgrims to take the “healing waters.”
The
present church building of Penmon Priory dates from the 12th Century
and is open to the public and still has an active congregation.
The well has crystal clear water from a
spring emerging from a cliff behind the church; the water was originally used
as the source of water for the monastery. It is likely that St. Seriol had his
“cell” next to the Holy well in the 6th Century.
I first
visited Penmon Priory in 2006 during a period of stress and uncertainty, now as
I look back in 2012 that visit was to lead to peace, healing, inspiration and a
deepening faith.
My
uncle a bachelor lived with his spinster sister; in 2006 she was then 100 years
old. He died in September 2006, leaving her determined not to go into a home.
After
my uncle’s funeral I went with my sister and brother-in-law to Anglesey that we
knew well. While I was there my mind was in turmoil over the issue of the care
of my aunt.
During
the visit we chanced upon Penmon Priory, discovering St. Seriol’s Holy well. I
dipped my hand in the crystal clear, cool water and made the sign of the cross
on my forehead. We sat for a while on stone seats in the small building that
encloses the well. We then walked the short distance to the church.
When we
entered the church we all remarked about the beauty and sense of peace within
it. I felt it especially in the room where you could leave prayer requests and
light candles.
As I
sat near the back of the church absorbing the peace I was struck by the most
beautiful stained glass window on my left. It depicts our Lord Jesus in the
boat on the Sea of Galilee with his faithful but fearful disciples around him.
Our Lord’s hand is raised and there are the words “Peace Be Still” beside him.
St. Seriol, the founder of the 6th Century monastery at Penmon is
also depicted beneath our Lord.
After
the visit to the Priory I began to contemplate the words of our Lord, “Peace Be
Still.”
During the rest of the visit my mind went from
turmoil and waking in the night to a sense of peace. I thought about letting go
of my own thoughts and fears, imagining the storm of my mind being calmed to a
millpond of peace, just as our Lord had calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee.
When I
returned home I felt guided to leave my own agenda and to go and care for my
aunt. I was sometimes able to go for an afternoon walk in a large park nearby.
During those walks I felt inspired to write a prayer, “Peace Be Still,” based
on my experience of the visit to the Holy well and the Priory church at Penmon.
After
my aunt’s death at the age of almost 102, I was inspired to write more prayers
on the trials and tribulations of life, the Holy Spirit and others based on the
Psalms into an eBook which I have titled, “Peace Be Still.” My period of
anguish and turmoil has turned into peace, healing and deepening faith.
I hope that after reading this you will
become another pilgrim and visit the church and take the “healing waters” of
the Holy well. I pray that whatever trial and tribulation you may be
experiencing you will find peace and healing through your visit.
David McDermott. March 2012.
Priory Anglesey Inspires a Deepening Faith.
Seriol
monastery was founded in the 6th Century by St. Seriol in Penmon,
Anglesey, North Wales. It is set in a remote and peaceful part of the Island
with beautiful views. One of the oldest surviving buildings there is St.
Seriol’s Holy well. The well is thought to have healing powers and has been
visited down the centuries by pilgrims to take the “healing waters.”
The
present church building of Penmon Priory dates from the 12th Century
and is open to the public and still has an active congregation.
The well has crystal clear water from a
spring emerging from a cliff behind the church; the water was originally used
as the source of water for the monastery. It is likely that St. Seriol had his
“cell” next to the Holy well in the 6th Century.
I first
visited Penmon Priory in 2006 during a period of stress and uncertainty, now as
I look back in 2012 that visit was to lead to peace, healing, inspiration and a
deepening faith.
My
uncle a bachelor lived with his spinster sister; in 2006 she was then 100 years
old. He died in September 2006, leaving her determined not to go into a home.
After
my uncle’s funeral I went with my sister and brother-in-law to Anglesey that we
knew well. While I was there my mind was in turmoil over the issue of the care
of my aunt.
During
the visit we chanced upon Penmon Priory, discovering St. Seriol’s Holy well. I
dipped my hand in the crystal clear, cool water and made the sign of the cross
on my forehead. We sat for a while on stone seats in the small building that
encloses the well. We then walked the short distance to the church.
When we
entered the church we all remarked about the beauty and sense of peace within
it. I felt it especially in the room where you could leave prayer requests and
light candles.
As I
sat near the back of the church absorbing the peace I was struck by the most
beautiful stained glass window on my left. It depicts our Lord Jesus in the
boat on the Sea of Galilee with his faithful but fearful disciples around him.
Our Lord’s hand is raised and there are the words “Peace Be Still” beside him.
St. Seriol, the founder of the 6th Century monastery at Penmon is
also depicted beneath our Lord.
After
the visit to the Priory I began to contemplate the words of our Lord, “Peace Be
Still.”
During the rest of the visit my mind went from
turmoil and waking in the night to a sense of peace. I thought about letting go
of my own thoughts and fears, imagining the storm of my mind being calmed to a
millpond of peace, just as our Lord had calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee.
When I
returned home I felt guided to leave my own agenda and to go and care for my
aunt. I was sometimes able to go for an afternoon walk in a large park nearby.
During those walks I felt inspired to write a prayer, “Peace Be Still,” based
on my experience of the visit to the Holy well and the Priory church at Penmon.
After
my aunt’s death at the age of almost 102, I was inspired to write more prayers
on the trials and tribulations of life, the Holy Spirit and others based on the
Psalms into an eBook which I have titled, “Peace Be Still.” My period of
anguish and turmoil has turned into peace, healing and deepening faith.
I hope that after reading this you will
become another pilgrim and visit the church and take the “healing waters” of
the Holy well. I pray that whatever trial and tribulation you may be
experiencing you will find peace and healing through your visit.
David McDermott. March 2012.
Friday 26 June 2009
Julian of Norwich. A 14th century mystic.
Who was Julian of Norwich? Does a 14th century mystic have any relevance for our times? Why has her work only become known in the last few decades?
Julian of Norwich described herself as "a simple creature unlettered," Revelation chapter 2, but she was chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ to gain a unique insight or higher beholding through sixteen visions.
When Julian was thirty years old in 1373 she was so close to the brink of death through an illness that she received the last rites. But it was not her time to die; our Lord Jesus Christ came to her during this illness with the sixteen visions. These visions included a vision of Heaven and showed the extent of the Passion of our Saviour Lord Jesus, the benevolence of God and the Virgin Mary. They gave discernment of the Trinity, the incarnation and the harmony between God and man's higher entity. They gave enlightenment of the ascent of man's higher entity towards God; the different phases of the spiritual sojourn on Earth, God's involvement in these stages and God's everlasting wisdom.
After the visions Julian regained her health and as consequence dedicated the rest of her life to God at the church, St. Julian's. Over twenty years of prayer and consideration regarding the visions gave her"inward instruction" from the Holy Spirit. She then wrote a second longer version of eighty-six chapters "Revelations of Divine Love."
This was the first book written in English by a woman. It is now a book that is read and loved by people internationally. It is not only valued as an important literary work, but as a spiritual Western classic, ranking Julian as one of the most significant English theologians.
To discern why Julian's work did not become well known, we have to reflect on the times that she lived in. England was going through an anxious and oppressive time. There had been the gloom of the Black Death, which had annihilated one third of the population. There was an alarming insurgence of the peasants' revolt in 1381. Unguided groups increased the lawlessness against the manorial system through the counties. There followed a hundred and fifty executions. The church was also disliked because it charged tithes, one tenth of the peasants' grain. The Lord's of the manner insisted on compulsory labour on their land.
In the 1380's Wyclif's movement endeavoured church reform. His offensive on church doctrine and its abuses was denounced and he was accused of heresy. It had driven the force of the Reformation. But the church in union with the state still had absolute control over men through their doctrine. The monarchy became more absolute than before. People who defied accepted beliefs were seen as a menace to the institutionalized authority. Personal sense of truth was not allowed. In 1401 a statute condemned heretics to be burnt alive.
The vengeful and absolute doctrine of the church focused on iniquity and retribution, and because of the events of the time people believed they were being punished by God. She would therefore have received opposition from the church and the state. Against this background Julian's perception was of a forgiving and benevolent God. She took great personal risk in publishing her works and indeed could have been tied for heresy and burnt at the stake. Another factor to consider was that Julian's work was hand written as the printing press was not invented in Europe until 1450.
The essence of the Revelations is God's benevolence to His children that are regarded by Him with tenderness, being blameless and impeccable through the Holy Passion of Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. Our higher entity and lower entity is totally separate. In chapter sixty-four our Lord reveals that on the point of expiry of our lower entity through death our redeemed higher entity ascends as a small child, in all perfection and purer than a lily, that floats up to the heavenly abode. Our lower entity that can be harsh and unacceptable is what yields to iniquity that causes us our suffering. Our higher entity being in an elevated separate state never yields to iniquity. Iniquity does not have to be the final stage of our life. We can use our gifts in our Lord's service. We like Julian who live in turbulent times can have complete faith in God with His peace and assurance.
More than six centuries after Julian I was inspired to translate Julian's work into contemplative prayers. My prayer is that they further inspire all that read them to consider Julian's teaching of God's benevolence and that they might transform their lives.
"Prayers from Revelations of Divine Love," is published by http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/ ISBN 978-07552-1110-4 You can also visit www.bebo.com/pfrodl
Julian of Norwich described herself as "a simple creature unlettered," Revelation chapter 2, but she was chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ to gain a unique insight or higher beholding through sixteen visions.
When Julian was thirty years old in 1373 she was so close to the brink of death through an illness that she received the last rites. But it was not her time to die; our Lord Jesus Christ came to her during this illness with the sixteen visions. These visions included a vision of Heaven and showed the extent of the Passion of our Saviour Lord Jesus, the benevolence of God and the Virgin Mary. They gave discernment of the Trinity, the incarnation and the harmony between God and man's higher entity. They gave enlightenment of the ascent of man's higher entity towards God; the different phases of the spiritual sojourn on Earth, God's involvement in these stages and God's everlasting wisdom.
After the visions Julian regained her health and as consequence dedicated the rest of her life to God at the church, St. Julian's. Over twenty years of prayer and consideration regarding the visions gave her"inward instruction" from the Holy Spirit. She then wrote a second longer version of eighty-six chapters "Revelations of Divine Love."
This was the first book written in English by a woman. It is now a book that is read and loved by people internationally. It is not only valued as an important literary work, but as a spiritual Western classic, ranking Julian as one of the most significant English theologians.
To discern why Julian's work did not become well known, we have to reflect on the times that she lived in. England was going through an anxious and oppressive time. There had been the gloom of the Black Death, which had annihilated one third of the population. There was an alarming insurgence of the peasants' revolt in 1381. Unguided groups increased the lawlessness against the manorial system through the counties. There followed a hundred and fifty executions. The church was also disliked because it charged tithes, one tenth of the peasants' grain. The Lord's of the manner insisted on compulsory labour on their land.
In the 1380's Wyclif's movement endeavoured church reform. His offensive on church doctrine and its abuses was denounced and he was accused of heresy. It had driven the force of the Reformation. But the church in union with the state still had absolute control over men through their doctrine. The monarchy became more absolute than before. People who defied accepted beliefs were seen as a menace to the institutionalized authority. Personal sense of truth was not allowed. In 1401 a statute condemned heretics to be burnt alive.
The vengeful and absolute doctrine of the church focused on iniquity and retribution, and because of the events of the time people believed they were being punished by God. She would therefore have received opposition from the church and the state. Against this background Julian's perception was of a forgiving and benevolent God. She took great personal risk in publishing her works and indeed could have been tied for heresy and burnt at the stake. Another factor to consider was that Julian's work was hand written as the printing press was not invented in Europe until 1450.
The essence of the Revelations is God's benevolence to His children that are regarded by Him with tenderness, being blameless and impeccable through the Holy Passion of Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. Our higher entity and lower entity is totally separate. In chapter sixty-four our Lord reveals that on the point of expiry of our lower entity through death our redeemed higher entity ascends as a small child, in all perfection and purer than a lily, that floats up to the heavenly abode. Our lower entity that can be harsh and unacceptable is what yields to iniquity that causes us our suffering. Our higher entity being in an elevated separate state never yields to iniquity. Iniquity does not have to be the final stage of our life. We can use our gifts in our Lord's service. We like Julian who live in turbulent times can have complete faith in God with His peace and assurance.
More than six centuries after Julian I was inspired to translate Julian's work into contemplative prayers. My prayer is that they further inspire all that read them to consider Julian's teaching of God's benevolence and that they might transform their lives.
"Prayers from Revelations of Divine Love," is published by http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/ ISBN 978-07552-1110-4 You can also visit www.bebo.com/pfrodl
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