Today the Church of England remembers Margery Kempe. Although not officially a saint, she was a mystic known for her passionate devotion to Christ – devotion that frequent led to storms of weeping and to her being described as 'the Madwoman of God'.
Born in around 1373 and died at some point after 1438, she dictated her 'Book of Margery Kempe' to an unnamed priest – speaking of herself in the third person – and extracts were published the printer Wyken de Worde in 1501. The manuscript was only rediscovered in 1936.
Kempe was born in Kings Lynn, but made pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem, Spain and Germany. She seems to have suffered a nervous breakdown after the birth of her first child (she was to have 14) during which she saw demons attacking her. She became very devout, seeing visions and experiencing spiritual ecstasies. She visited Julian of Norwich in her cell and spent time with her, seeking to understand her spiritual feelings.
Her book describes her sexual temptations as well as her religious feelings and is regarded as the first autobiography written in English by a woman. It also tells of her frequent trials for heresy, as she was challenged by the religious authorities on whether she was orthodox or not and whether she should be allowed to teach in public; she was never convicted.
Here are six quotes from the Book of Margery Kempe.
1. On a night, as this creature lay in her bed with her husband, she heard a sound of melody so sweet and delectable, that she thought she had been in Paradise, and therewith she started out of her bed and said: 'Alas, that ever I did sin! It is full merry in Heaven.'
2. [She] many times met with men of that district who said to her, 'Woman, give up this life that you lead and go and spin, and card wool, as other women do, and do not suffer so much shame and so much unhappiness. We would not suffer so much for any money on earth.'
Then she said to them, 'I do not suffer as much sorrow as I would do for our Lord's love, for I only suffer cutting words, and our merciful Lord Christ Jesus...suffered hard strokes, bitter scourgings, and shameful death at the last, for me and for all mankind, blessed may he be.'
3. Then the lady's priest came to her, saying, 'Woman, Jesus is long since dead.'
When her crying ceased, she said to the priest, 'Sir, his death is as fresh to me as if he had died this same day, and so, I think, it ought to be to you and to all Christian people.'
4. Then many people were amazed at her, asking her what was wrong with her; to which she, like a creature all wounded with love, and in whom reason had failed, cried with a loud voice: 'The Passion of Christ slays me.'
5. Sometimes she wept very abundantly and violently out of desire for the bliss of heaven, and because she was being kept from it for so long.
6. Patience is more worthy than miracle-working.
