Gracious God, we offer thanks for the lives and work of Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, and Margery Kempe, hermits and mystics, who, passing through the cloud of unknowing, beheld thy glory. Help us, after their examples, to see thee more clearly and love thee more dearly, in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ever heard of the 14th century English hermit, Richard Rolle?Richard Rolle was a 14th century English mystic and prolific religious writer. Although he was never canonised, the Church of England commemorates him on 23 January.Regulars at Choral Evensong won’t be surprised to hear that one of Richard Rolle’s earliest mystical experiences occurred while listening to a choir – and he continued to hear music from heaven whenever he chanted the Psalms.He wrote of two other forms of mystical experience: a feeling of physical warmth and a sense of sweetness. His experiences contributed to the medieval practice of affective meditation, initiated by St Anselm of Canterbury, in which Christians imagine the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of events in the Gospels.You can continue reading this fascinating piece by our Librarian, Emma Laws: https://t.co/rcWBekqsxS#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral
— Exeter Cathedral (@ExeterCathedral) January 23, 2026
