Julian was a woman mystic of the 14th century, and the first woman ever to write a book in the English language. Alive during the time of the Black Plague, she was close to death from a disease. In her last moments she had several profound visions of Christ which also brought her healing. She meditated on the depths of these visions for over 20 years, and then wrote about them in her remarkable book “Revelations of Divine Love”. Her writings contain ground breaking concepts that were entirely foreign in the harsh “angry God” religion of her time. She wrote about ideas like the goodness of God, His joy in relating to us, access by grace and faith, and God’s nurturing mother-nature.
The entire Trinity was at work in Christ’s passion, blessing us, through Him, with an abundance of virtues and plentiful grace.
[Upon showing Julian the events of His suffering and crucifixion] He said, “Are you well satisfied?” and then when he said, “If you are satisfied, I am satisfied.” It was as if he had said, Your satisfaction is enough to give me everlasting joy and delight. I ask nothing more than this in exchange for my service.
He reminds me of the cheerful giver, who pays little attention to the thing he is giving and instead focuses all his desire and intention on pleasing and soothing the one to whom he is giving it. If the receiver accepts the gift gladly and graciously, then the courteous giver counts all his cost and labor as nothing compared to the joy and delight he derives from bringing pleasure and comfort to someone he loves. This was generously and fully revealed to me.
Contemplate the magnitude of this word, “ever.” For this word opens to an exalted awareness of God’s love for our liberation and the multitude of joys that arise from the passion of Christ.
One joy is that he rejoices that he has completed the deed he was meant to do and shall suffer no more.
Another joy is that, with his passion, he has rescued us from the pains of hell.
Another joy is that he has brought us into heaven and made us his crown and his unending bliss.
From Julian of Norwich, “Revelations of Divine Love”
Rob Gerhard 