julian: a disciple’s spirituality © mary cresp rsj

Julian:

A Disciple’s Spirituality

© Mary Cresp RSJ

Julian’s Spirituality(Anne Player)

The basic pattern of the spiritual life of Julian Tenison Woods was personal relationships.

Christ his brother. Mary his loving mother. The saints friends and models.

Julian’s Spirituality(Anne Player)

The incarnation: Sacred Heart as the loving Christ.

Mass and the Eucharist focal points.

Reflect: Julian’s life journey in relationships – enveloped in God.

Jesus

‘Is not Christ our Lord sufficient for

us? He is our strength and what can be found like His love and generosity?' (Letter to Srs Perp. Adoration 20.2.89)

How real and “lived” is my relationship with God?


Mary & the Communion of Saints

‘Let us sing with joy to her – our Love, our sweetness and our Hope – with all the power of her Son to help us!' (Letter to Srs Perp. Adoration, 29/8/87)



Friends

‘We must love others so much as to feel no happiness as great as that of serving them and advancing their interests.’ (June ‘70)



Suffering

‘l have had many crosses some of which have made me wonder how I live under them but if I loved Our Lord dearly they would be sweeter than consolations.’ (To Mary, 6/6/75)



Creation

‘I see God in the glorious sunset and sunrise and they only serve to remind me how pale and lonely they are in comparison with the reality.’ (Letter to Mary 1870)



Life circumstances

‘God's will is to be your only guide, your only dependence, your only comfort.’ (Letter to Mary, 27/12/70)


As Julian

Prayed

Words: Mary Cresp RSJ

Music: Michael Herry FMS

As Julian prayed, so we pray O GodYour Son is with us in Sacrament and WordWe are his Body, our mission His conferred.Form us all into Christ, his word in us be heard.

O Eucharist, Word made flesh, become our bread;

Sacred Bible, God’s holy Word, clothed in human speech,

written word of the Eternal Word, may you share our hearts,

and possess an equal place in our affections. (Woods. Chaplet and Southern Cross,

May 1872: 413.)

As Julian prayed, so we pray O GodYour Holy Spirit pours forth on us your graceLet us be open, Your will for life embraceForm us all into Christ, that all may see your face.

I will be with you. The Lord himself will be with you and will

not fail you

Text (Deut 31:8) Julian kept on his desk

We are but instruments in the hands of Godnever acting as if we were more.

O God, breathe into this flute so that the sounds which issue are animated by Your Holy Spirit. (Woods, Book of Instructions, Sisters of St Joseph.)

As Julian prayed so we pray O GodYou are creator In you all has its birthYour love connects us; each creature has its worth.Form us all into Christ as now we care for Earth

The rock on which we stand has lived and died,has been a thing of life and is now stone.

Whether we search in earth or sky or seawe are ever lured by God, eternal mystery. (Woods, Geological Observations, 1862.)

As Julian prayed so we pray O God In life’s true living our cross reveals your Son Our paschal hoping gives courage when there’s none Form us all into Christ till victory is won.

Whatever that happens, God is with you in it all.If you leave it in God’s hands, God will bring it right.

All God wants is our affection and our love.In such great mystery we can entirely trust. (Woods, Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, 1881)

As Julian prayed, so we pray O GodYour Son is with us in Sacrament and WordWe are his Body, our mission His conferred.Form us all into Christ, his word in us be heard.

(As Julian

prayed,

so

we pray …)

May our love for one another support us.May God bless us –

Provident, Overflowing Generosity,and Ground of our Hope.

Amen. (Josephite Prayer Book p 75)

May the abiding

presence of God

encourage us.

May the abundance of

God’s loveinspire us.

julian: a disciple’s spirituality © mary cresp rsj

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