Category Archives: Julian of Norwich

I saw that God may done all that us nedith; and these iii that I shall seyen, neden: love, longing, pite. Pite in love kepith us in time of our nede, and longing in the same love drawith us into hevyn: for the threist of God is to have the general man into him, in which thrist he hath drawyn his holy that be now in bliss; and gettand his lively members, ever he drawith and drinkith, and yet he thristith and longith. I saw iii manner of longing in God, and al to one end; of which we have the same in us, and of the same vertue, and for the same end. The ist is for that he longyth to learn us to knowen him and loven him evermore. as it is convenient and spedefull to us. The ii is that he longith to have us up to his bliss as souIes am whan thei arn taken out of peyne into hevyn. The iii is to fulfillen us in bliss; and that shall be on the last day fulfillid ever to lesten; for I saw, as it is knowne in our feith, that the peyne and sorow shall be endid to all that shall be savid. And not only we shall recevyn the same bliss the soule afome have had in hevyn, but also we shall receive anew, which plenteously shal be flowing out of God into us and fulfillen us; and this be the goods which he hath ordeynid to geve us from without begynnyng; these goods are tresurid and hidde in hyrnselfe: for into that time, creature is not myty ne worthy to receivin them.

— Julian of Norwich, A Revelation of Love (ed. Glasscoe)

And our Lord’s next showing was a supreme spiritual pleasure in my soul. In this pleasure I was filled with eternal certainty, strongly anchored and without any fear. This feeling was so joyful to me and so full of goodness that I felt completely peaceful, easy and at rest, as though there were nothing on earth that could hurt me. This only lasted for a while, and then my feeling was reversed and I was left oppressed, weary of myself, and so disgusted with my life that I could hardly bear to live. There was no ease or comfort for my feelings but faith, hope and love, and these I had in reality, but I could not feel them in my heart. And immediately after this God again gave me the spiritual rest and comfort, certainty and pleasure so joyful and so powerful that no fear, no sorrow, no bodily or spiritual pain that one might suffer could have distressed me. And then the sorrow was revealed to my consciousness again, and first one, then the other, several times, I suppose about twenty times. And in the moments of joy I might have said with Paul, ‘Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ.’ And in the moments of sorrow I might have said with Saint Peter, ‘Lord save me, I perish.’

This vision was shown to me, as I understand, to teach me that it is necessary for everybody to have such experiences, sometimes to be strengthened, sometimes to falter and be left by himself. God wishes us to know that he safely protects us in both joy and sorrow equally, and he loves us as much in sorrow as in joy. And to benefit his soul, a man is sometimes left to himself, though not because of sin; for at this time I did not deserve by sinning to be left alone, neither did I deserve the feeling of bliss. But God gives joy generously when he so wishes, and sometimes allows us sorrow; and both come from love. So it is God’s will that we should hold on to gladness with all our might, for bliss lasts eternally, and pain passes and shall vanish completely. Therefore it is not God’s will that we should be guided by feelings of pain, grieving and mourning over them, but should quickly pass beyond them and remain in eternal joy, which is God almighty, who loves and protects us.

— Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, the Short Text (tr. Spearing)

And this same tyme that I sawe this bodyly syght, oure Lorde schewyd me a gastelye sight of his hamly lovynge. I sawe that he es to us alle thynge that is goode and comfortabylle to oure helpe. He es oure clethynge, for loove wappes us and wyndes us, halses us and alle beteches, hynges aboute us for tendyr loove, that he maye nevere leve us. And so in this sight Y sawe sothelye that he ys alle thynge that ys goode, as to myne understandynge.

And in this he schewyd me a lytille thynge, the qwantyte of a haselle nutte, lyggande in the palme of my hande, and to my undyrstandynge that, it was as rownde as any balle. I lokede theropon and thought, ‘Whate maye this be?’ And I was aunswerde generaly thus, ‘It is alle that ys made.’ I merveylede how that it myght laste, for me thought it myght falle sodaynlye to nought for litille. And I was aunswerde in myne undyrstandynge, ‘It lastes and ever schalle, for God loves it; and so hath alle thynge the beynge thorowe the love of God.’ In this lytille thynge I sawe thre partyes. The fyrste is that God made it, the seconde ys that he loves it, the thyrde ys that God kepes it. Botte whate is that to me? Sothelye the makere, the lovere, the kepere. For to I am substancyallye aned to hym, I may nevere have love, reste, ne varray blysse; that is to saye that I be so festenede to hym that thare be ryght nought that is made betwyxe my God and me. And wha schalle do this dede? Sothlye hymselfe, be his mercye and his grace, for he has made me thereto and blysfullye restoryd.

— Julian of Norwich (tr. Spearing)