JULIAN AT PRAYER

A LAMBETH PALACE MANUSCRIPT
 
 

here have been many books on 'Praying with Julian'. Here we may have her prayers, rather than ours. They are rather like the later Carmelite Brother Lawrence's sense of practising the presence of God.

These prayers are in a collection in a Lambeth Palace Manuscript that was originally taken by Syon Abbey into exile to Dendermonde, 1539-1557, under King Henry VIII. Today, it is Lambeth Palace 3600 (L), with English rubrics and Latin and English contemplative prayers at folios 59v-66v.

Its English contemplative prayers echo Julian's own contemplative theology in numerous ways. Indeed, Syon Abbey nuns at this period and later in exile loved, carefully preserved and copied out Julian's text. The scribe, writing in brown ink, has a squarish hand and dots her ys like is to distinguish them for her thorns. The writing is similar to that in the Norwich Castle Manuscript .
 
 

[Folio 59 verso]

{ Haue euer thyn yei up
on the person of criste
beholdyng hym as god
and man. And festenn thy spyrituall syght
more upon hys god
hed than upon hys
manhed consyderyng
 

[L60]
how by hys mageste and allmyghty
power all thyng ys browght
forthe and hath beyng
as of a fatherly begyn
nyng. By his endles
wysdom all thyngys
are gouerned. by hys
ynfynyte gudnes all
thyngys ys kepte and
after hys godly ordy=
nance Behold also
how by hys wysdom
yn the crosse he hath
distroyed deth and all the
Power of the devyll.
And geuyn us power
by the vertue of hys
Passyon. yn the same
crosse yf we wyll abyll
oure selfe thertoo. for
to ouercome all our gost
ly enemyes. Say them
as present yn hys syght.
in the worshyp
of hys fiue wounds :

[L60v]
{ood Lord I apeer
here afore the as
a poore wrechyd beg=
ger. Afore on of grett
ryches and superabu=
dant tresure. besechyng
the to make me pertey=
ner of the most pre=
cyous tresure and ryches
of thy marcy & grace.

[L62]
{  gud lord I am
here afore the as a servant
afore hys Lorde desyryng
to be fedde wyth the
most holsome fode.
 

[L62v]
of thy precious body
of flesche. blode and bone.
That is to say swete
iesu for thy grett gud=
nes mercy and grace
make me perteyner
spyrytually of the pro=
fytabull and frutfull
effectys and gracys of
that most honorabul
Sacrament of thy
moste precyous body
and blode. whych is
dayly offeryd yn thy
 

[L63]
chyrche. In the honore
of thee. and thy bles=
syd moder & virgine.
with all thy holly
seyntys. for the syn=
nys and offensys of
all synners that be a
lyue yn this worlde
and for the dilyuerance
quyetude. and reste
of all feythfull sow=
lys that ly yn the pry=
son of paynfull pur=
gatory. And also gyue
 

[L63v]
me gode lorde the profytable garment
of charyte. that hy=
dyth and coueruth the multitude of synnys.

[L64]
{ercyfull iesu I
knele here afore
the as a gylty thefe a
fore hys ferfull iuge
mekely prayyng the
to be a mylde and mer=
 

[L64v]
cyfull Iuge unto me yn
the moste ferfull howre
of deth. When my wret=
chyd sowle schall depart.

[L65]
{o I am here afore
the my lord god
as on frend to myn
power afore a nother
desyring that thy yn
fynyte charite may
drawe me on to the.
And so to one and
knytte me to thy loue
that I neuer be depart
yd no separat fro the.

[L66]
{ my Lord god. I
am here a fore
the as a chyld. a chyld
afore hys father. be=
sechyng the of thy fa=
therly grett gudnes
marcy and grace to
make me partyner
of thy fatherly ynhe=
rytance yn the heuen=
ly ioy and blysse that
neuer shall haue end. Amen.

[L66v]
{ehold then oure la
dy as present and glo
ryfied in the sight of
hyr sonne. make hyr
mediatryce and meane
for the all mankynde.

Translation into Italian:
 

Mio Signore, sono davanti a te come una misera mendicante, davanti a colui che abbonda di richezze e tesori, pregandoti di farmi partecipe dei preziosissimi tesori e delle richezze infinite della tua misericordia e grazia.

Oh buon Gesù, sono davanti a te come una serva davanti al suo Signore, che anela di esser nutrita con il cibo che più ristora, il tuo preziosissimo corpo di carne, di sangue e di ossa. Dolce Gesù, per la tua grande bontà, misericordia e grazia, coinvolgimi spiritualmente per godere degli effetti fruttuosi e delle grazie di tale santissimo sacramento del preziosissimo corpo e sangue tuo, che quotidianemente è offerto nella tua Chiesa. In tuo onore e della tua benedetta Vergine Madre, con tutti i tuoi santi, per le offese di tutti i peccatori che vivono in questo mondo, e per la liberazione, pace e riposo di tutte le anime fedeli che sono nelle carceri e nelle pene del Purgatorio. E concedimi, mio Signore, il mantello della carità che nasconde e copre una moltitudine di peccati.

Gesù misericordioso, mi inginocchio davanti a te come un ladro colpevole davanti al suo spietato giudice, pregandoti umilmente di essere un giudice mite e misericordioso nell'ora spaventosa della morte, quando la mia misera anima lascerà il corpo.

Ecco, sono davanti al Signore mio Dio come una amica davanti a un amico, desiderando che la tua carità infinita possa attrarmi a te. E così congiungermi e legarmi al tuo amore affinchè mai io possa allontanarmi o separarmi da te.

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