Julian of Norwich was an anchoress, which meant she took a vow of stability to remain and live out her life in a particular monastic community. She lived without much human connection in a tiny cell instead of a larger convent, answering only to the bishop. She prayed constantly, and like many mystics, she received visions, which she wrote down.
Happily, we don’t have to be as extreme as Julian of Norwich. We can benefit from disconnecting even for a short time. Starting with 15 minutes, we could work our way up to an hour – and perhaps like it so much that we take a day during the week to be unplugged. We are just beginning to see the scientific data with proof that time away from our electronics can help restore our health. Female mystics like Julian of Norwich knew that truth long ago.
If we follow the example of medieval monastics and use the time away from work to turn to God in prayer, we’ll be that much more grounded when we return to our work and other commitments.
This message is excerpted from “Praying with medieval mystics” by Kristin Berkey-Abbott in the November 2018 Gather magazine.
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