‘Before all things, dear Sisters, love God, and next to Him, your neighbour, because these are the chief commandments given to us’. These words from the Rule of St Augustine are found also in the Rule of our Holy Father St Benedict: ‘In the first place, to love the Lord God with all one’s heart, all one’s soul and all one’s strength. Then, one’s neighbour as oneself’. Both fulfil and express the Lord’s own call to Love.

Julian of Norwich wrote this in her ‘Revelations of Divine Love’: ‘And from that time that it was shewed I desired oftentimes to learn what was our Lord’s meaning. And fifteen years after, and more, I was answered in ghostly understanding, saying thus: “Wouldst thou learn thy Lord’s meaning in this thing? Learn it well: Love was His meaning. Who shewed it thee? Love. What shewed He thee? Love. Wherefore shewed it He? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same”’.

May we grow in this Love, that is the true gift of our beloved Lord; and may He bless you this day.