May 28 is the feast day for Mechthild of Magdeburg (b. 1207) in the Episcopal Church. (She is honored on different days in other traditions, and a list of these other dates can be found in her Wikipedia entry.)
Mechthild (who is also sometimes known as Mechtild, Matilda, or Matelda) was a Catholic mystic and a Beguine in the Middle Ages who was the first to record her mystical writings in Low German instead of Latin. Her writings are a set of seven books written over the course of 30 years called The Flowing Light of the Godhead, and they alternate between passionate praises of God and fierce criticism of the clergy and church of her era (which caused quite a bit of controversy at the time).
I am fascinated by the Beguines, who were groups of women who lived together in semi-monastic life without the formal vows required by convents. They made vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience that applied only as long as they were part of the community, and they lived and worked together in communal support in an era when there were few options for women outside of marriage or the convent.
Mechthild’s deeply passionate love for God shines forth in her writings and inspires me to move beyond formal language in my own prayers into a realm where my prayer (and life) becomes more of a dance with God than dry recitation of pre-written scripts. I hope these prayers will inspire you similarly!
The prayers below are designed for use with an Anglican rosary and are all taken from translations of Mechthild’s writings (with the exception of the opening collect). The sources for each passage are listed below the prayers.
| Cross: | Draw the souls of your people into your love, O God, that like your servant Mechthild, we may yearn to be fully yours, for you know us better than we can know ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen. |
| Invitatory bead: | O burning Mountain, O chosen Sun, O perfect Moon, O fathomless Well, O unattainable Height, O Clearness beyond measure, O Wisdom without end, O Mercy without limit, O Strength beyond resistance, O Crown beyond all majesty: the humblest thing you created sings your praise. Amen. |
| Cruciform beads: | I cannot dance, O Lord, unless you lead me. |
| Week bead 1: | If it is your will, I can leap with joy. |
| Week bead 2: | But you must show me how to dance and sing by dancing and singing yourself! |
| Week bead 3: | With you I will leap towards love, |
| Week bead 4: | and from love I will leap to truth, |
| Week bead 5: | and from truth I will leap to joy, |
| Week bead 6: | and then I shall leap beyond all human senses. |
| Week bead 7: | There I will remain and dance for evermore. |
| Invitatory bead: | A fish cannot drown in water, A bird does not fall in air. In the fire of creation, God doesn’t vanish: The fire brightens. Each creature God made must live in its own true nature; How could I resist my nature, That lives for oneness with God? |
| Cross: | I rejoice that I love the One Who loves me, and I pray that I may love Him without measure and without ceasing. Amen. |
Sources of prayers used above:
Opening Cross: prayer from The Book of Common Prayer, found on the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles website
First Invitatory bead: prayer by Mechthild of Magdeburg, found on the Hearts on Fire blog
Cruciform and Week beads: prayer by Mechthild of Magdeburg, found on The Catholic Messenger
Last Invitatory bead: by Mechthild of Magdeburg, found on the Forward Movement website, which also features a concise bio for her
Closing Cross: by Mechthild of Magdeburg, found on the Hearts on Fire blog
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