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| Maria Roja, Associate of Wisdom |
Our group engaged in a Close Reading of selected texts
from three 13th century Beguines (laywomen/mystics): Mechthild of Magdeburg, Hadewijch of Brabant,
and Marguerite Porete.
This was a first
such experience for me... wherein we slowly read the selections, shared our impressions of their writings, and
attempted to discern the meaning beyond the words. This was no easy task given
their creative writing styles, unique language, and the highly oppressive cultural limitations imposed upon them... plus
the challenge of putting ourselves aside in the process. Under Dr. Dreyer's
expert guidance and facilitation, the experience was fun, energizing and most
enlightening.
I found myself
intrigued by and drawn to the writings of Marguerite Porete, who, according to
Dr. Dreyer, was the most radical of the three authors. I admired her courage, self-confidence, and
the depth of her mysticism and inner authority.
Her writings stretched and challenged me towards growth beyond where I'm
at now. She was a "free"
spirit and her love for and commitment to God was unquestionably total and she wanted to share that with others
Marguerite
wrote in one section of her book about
the "freeness of charity." She wrote, "... at this stage of spiritual growth
one is unencumbered from all things."
Many of us strive for this!
For more information about Marguerite Porete, see
"Marguerite Porete, The Mirror of Simple Souls," Paulist Press series, " Classics of
Western Spirituality."
