Illiteracy was widespread in medieval Europe among peasants and nobility alike. Monasteries were one of the few places where reading was taught and flourished. The mass of society depended on learned priests and monks to read the Bible for them and explain its meaning.
Ludolph of Saxony (1295-1379) was a monk whose distinctive narrative writing style appealed to the masses. He invited listeners to enter the gospel stories by feeling the drama, sensing the mood, and joining the controversy. The Life of Christ was a series of eighty-six stories taken from Jesus’ life that Ludolph elaborated in narrative fashion. Take the story of Jesus’ anointing told in all four gospels. Ludolph begins with Martha, given that it’s her house where the anointing takes place, and she acts as host for the meal. The table has been thoughtfully prepared yet not lavish, as her honored guest would like it. Considerable attention is given to brother Lazarus. The sight of him taking refreshment demonstrates that Jesus’ magnanimous gesture of raising him from the dead isn’t imaginary. Most of the attention is lavished on Mary, who approaches Jesus as she would be “a fountain of mercy that washes away our infirmities.” The oil used in the anointing is reviewed for texture and aroma. Mary starts by anointing Jesus’ head as Master and proceeds to his feet, her rightful place as his servant. The whole house is filled with its aroma. “Harken to the Apostle,” Ludolph writes, “We are the good odor of Christ.” He concludes by inviting his readers and listeners, like Mary, to offer God whatever is most important to us.
Ludolph’s unique narrative writing has considerable influence on subsequent church leaders, most notably Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Each gospel story in Ludolph’s collection concludes with prayer. His prayer effectively draws us back into the story: