Address at Evensong, Norwich Cathedral, 18th July 2026
Readings: Esther 9.20-28; 2 Cor 10.
In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
As a Benedictine abbess it is a great joy to be worshipping here in this beautiful cathedral, one of the great Benedictine foundations of the middle ages. Places like this provide a space in which we can step aside from the bustle of everyday life and pause, be silent, listen for the still, small voice of God in our hearts.
We live in troubled times with so many suffering from climate change and war, the results of our collective greed and selfishness. As individuals we can feel powerless to do anything about this but as we have just heard Paul say, we may be weak and human but we fight with the weapons of God. The powers at work in our world can be overcome.
Benedict too lived in troubled times as the Roman Empire collapsed – war and starvation were all around. He wrote a simple rule for monks which embodies great wisdom that still speaks today. ‘Listen’ is the first word of his rule, as he calls us to turn to Christ and take up the strong weapons of obedience to God’s word. He lays out a pattern of life that makes space for silence, for listening to God’s word both in scripture and in all that is going on around us. He calls us to wake up and pay attention.
Our modern world would keep us asleep, going along with the masses, keeping the economy going by consuming more and more and allowing our fears of others to fuel conflict. If we are to turn things around, stop destroying the environment and find peace we must learn to step aside from the constant bombardment of social media to make space to hear God’s words of love. As we come to know deep within that we are loved by God we are set free from our fears and empowered to change our own lives. It may feel like a small and insignificant thing but each one of us can embody God’s love in the way we interact with those around us. We can create an atmosphere that changes others too.
Benedict speaks of a way of life in which everything is sacred, that the pots and pans in the kitchen are to be treated with the same reverence as the vessels of the altar, that we welcome guests as we would welcome Christ. He challenges us to create a rhythm of life that respects our minds, bodies and emotions, bringing loving attention to whatever we are doing.
We need spaces like this cathedral to remind us of God’s presence but we can choose to make silent spaces in our regular daily lives, our own personal ‘cathedrals’, where we take time to listen to God’s word in our hearts. God’s weapons are weapons of love that work in hidden ways to change the world and each one of us can contribute to that change.
Amen