Brother Juniper and the Words of John Chrysostom

From Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals:

Brother Juniper (d. 1258)

A companion of Francis of Assisi, Brother Juniper is remembered as a “fool for Christ,” and there are all sorts of wild stories about his antics. He was notorious for constantly giving his possessions away and living with a winsomeness that sometimes got him into trouble. At one point, he was ordered by a superior not to give away his outer garment to the beggars anymore. But it wasn’t long before he met someone in need who asked him for some clothing. He said, “My superior has told me under obedience not to give my clothing to anyone. But if you pull it off my back, I certainly will not prevent you.” Francis is said to have joked about how he wished for a forest of Junipers.

John Chrysostom, a fourth-century preacher and bishop of Constantinople, wrote, “Tell me then, how is it that you are rich? From whom did you receive it, and from whom did he transmit it to you? From his father and his grandfather. But can you, ascending through many generations, show the acquisition just? It cannot be. The root and origin of it must have been injustice. Why? Because God in the beginning did not make one person rich and another poor. He left the earth free to all alike. Why then if it is common, have you so many acres of land, while your neighbor has not a portion of it?”

Amen, amen.

Claiborne, S., Okoro, E., Wilson-Hartgrove, J. (2010). Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

A Word from Julian of Norwich

From the book Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals:

Julian of Norwich (1342 - 1416)

Born during a tumultuous period of England's history, Julian witnessed tremendous suffering in her lifetime. At age thirty, when she was seriously ill, Julian received the first of sixteen visions that centered on the crucified Christ. She interpreted her visions to mean that God loves us unconditionally, and she likened Christ to a mother who suffers when a child is hurt. Julian became an anchorite, voluntarily restricting herself to at tiny cell in the church building at Norwich. She lived the rest of her days in almost total isolation so that she could pray for the community and offer spiritual counsel. Her Showings has been praised as being among her most important spiritual writings in the English language.

Julian of Norwich prayed, "God, of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are enough for me. I may ask nothing less that is fully to your worship, and if I do ask anything less, ever shall I be in want. Only in you I have all."

Claiborne, S., Okoro, E., Wilson-Hartgrove, J. (2010). Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Liturgical Folk - Mary, Mary

Here's a song about Mary called Mary, Mary by Liturgical Folk, an Anglican band who creates liturgies for the Church to use. It's a nice, peaceful song.

https://liturgicalfolk.bandcamp.com/track/mary-mary