“The chalice of vision, the inebriating and very bright chalice of the glory….”

Week 32 of the Calendar Year

“Then will be presented to you the chalice of vision, the inebriating and very bright chalice of the glory of the divine countenance; and you will drink from the torrent of divine voluptuousness, and you will become inebriated when the fountain of light itself refreshes you eternally in the delights of its fullness. Then you will see the heavens full of the indwelling glory of God and that virginal light giver—that, after God, lights up the entire heaven with the brightness of its cleanest light—and the miraculous works of the fingers of God, and the morning stars that always so merrily stand before the face of God, ministering to him.”

This is an excerpt from the mystical writing of Gertrude of Helfta’s Spiritual Exercises, translated by Gertrud Jaron Lewis and Jack Lewis. It has been speaking to me all week, and I feel prompted to share it. It’s a beautiful example of what might be written in one’s spiritual journal.

Image, The Sun, Plate 1 from the Electro astronomical atlas by J. W. Spoor, from Cosmos

Thank you for your interest in this offering. It is freely shared with the hope that it brings blessing to those who need it. If you feel led, please consider supporting this work so it may continue to flow freely to others.