Julian of Norwich is the patron of the Order named after her. Living in Norwich, England in the 14th and early 15th century, Julian spent much of her life as an anchorite, that is, as a vowed religious living by herself in a small room attached to a parish church. Beyond this, little is actually known about Dame Julian, as she was called.
What is known about her, and what makes her the inspiration for the Order of Julian, is her remarkable book, The Revelations of Divine Love. The Revelations are a description of a series of visions which opened Julian to the depths of God's unconditioned love for us in Jesus Christ. They are noted for their spiritual depth and theological courage, for their literary elegance and the spirit of joy and humility that permeates them.
After being nearly forgotten for 600 years, Julian's insights and gentle wisdom have now made her justly famous. In a medieval church which emphasized God's condemning wrath, Julian wrote, 'There is no wrath in God….It is the most impossible thing that can be that God would be angry, for wrath and friendship are two opposites.' Just as striking and as relevant to the 21st century is Julian's perception of the feminine element in God. 'As truly as God is our Father,' Julian wrote, 'so truly God is our Mother.' The Episcopal Church celebrates her feast every 8th of May.
As Julian prayed often in silence, so the Order gives high priority to 'still prayer' and intercession for all in need. As the three windows of Julian's anchorhold cell opened, one to the altar, one to the room of her lay sisters, and one to the public lane, so the life of the Order looks, first to the worship of God, secondly to the support and strength of the wider community of the Order-our Oblates and Associates-and thirdly to the service of others.
