The Road to Emmaus
- Julian of Norwich
- John Donne
- Aelred of Rievaulx
- The Venerable Bede
- Thomas Traherne
- John and Charles Welsey
- The anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing
Helen Julian CSF is an Anglican Franciscan sister, a member of the Community of St Francis, and presently serving as Minister Provincial for her community. She has also written Living the Gospel and The Lindisfarne Icon for BRF, and is a member of the contributor team for New Daylight Bible reading notes. Praise for Helen Julian's book Living the Gospel: "Theology and practice beautifully woven together" -The Church Times
From: Home and Family - Spring 2007
Lent is supposed to be a time of self-denial, but when I was asked to review The Road to Emmaus, I soon saw walking this path would be such a pleasure that penance might be required! For we are invited to accompany such spiritual giants as Thomas Traherne, the Venerable Bede, John Donne, John and Charles Wesley, Aelred of Rievaulx and the anonymous author of the Cloud of Unknowing. What a joy!
Subtitled 'Companions for the spiritual journey', this book is equally useful for individuals or groups. The author, currently Minister Provincial for the Community of St Francis, skilfully introduces us to each 'companion' together with a daily Bible passage and prayer. She reminds us that the monks' primary interest in reading the scriptures was not intellectual nor theological but spiritual. They read in order to find God. She quotes Aelred's description of the scriptures as 'the gateway to that personal experience of God in every life, which establishes a personal bond that temptations and difficulties cannot break'.
However, we are challenged not to be passive travellers but, at the end of each week, under the heading of 'performance', are given suggestions for putting what we have learnt into practice in our own lives. Which might just be the penitential bit...
Reviewed by Rachel Stowe
From: The Church Times - 02 February 2007
In this group (of Lent books), one book stands out as an exercise in delight and sensitivity. It's The Road to Emmaus by Helen Julian, an Anglican Franciscan sister. For each week in Lent, she offers a daily scripture reading, meditation, and prayer that focus on profound writings. These span the Christian history of this land, from Bede to John and Charles Wesley. Each is given its historical context, so that we are taken on a journey in which Jesus seems to unfold to us the story of himself, not only in the scriptures, but in our own history too.
The book is designed for use by individuals or as a group, and at the end of each weekly section is "Performance", a few paragraphs of wise counsel on how the content of the past week might be shared and explored. I warmed to the quotation of Merlyn's advice to the young King Arthur: "The best advice for being sad... is to learn something." Here is a book that will help follow that advice.
Reviewed by Martin Warner
From: Woman Alive - February 07
The period of Lent is often seen as a journey, but it need not be travelled alone. In this book, Helen Julian, an Anglican Franciscan and contributor to BRF's {New Daylight} Bible reading notes, provides seven companions from the past to shed light and encouragement on our way. Learn from Julian of Norwich, Thomas Traherne, the Venerable Bede, John Donne, John and Charles Wesley, Aelred of Rievaulx and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing} There are also Bible passages for each day and imaginative exercises to put into practice what you have learned.
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