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Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich (c. 1343–c. 1416). Born around November 8, 1343, likely in Norwich, England, Julian of Norwich was an English mystic, anchoress, and one of the earliest known female Christian authors. Little is known of her early life, including her birth name, but she may have been from a well-to-do family, possibly educated at a convent. At around 30, during a severe illness in May 1373, she experienced 16 visions or “shewings” of Christ’s Passion, which she later recorded as Revelations of Divine Love, the first book in English known to be written by a woman. Choosing a life of seclusion, she became an anchoress at St. Julian’s Church in Norwich, from which she derived her name, living in a cell to pray and counsel visitors. Her writings, blending profound theology with accessible prose, emphasize God’s love, the motherhood of Christ, and optimism despite sin, famously noting that “all shall be well.” Julian’s work, preserved in short and long texts, influenced medieval spirituality and later readers, though she remained obscure until the 20th century. Unmarried, with no recorded family, she likely died around 1416 in Norwich. She said, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
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Julian of Norwich preaches about a spiritual vision where she sees God's homely loving nature, portraying Him as everything good and comforting, like clothing that wraps us in tender love. She reflects on a hazel-nut-sized object representing all of creation, emphasizing God's love as the sustaining force behind all things. Julian highlights the importance of recognizing the littleness of earthly things and seeking ultimate rest and bliss in God, who desires for us to find our rest in Him alone.
God, of Thy Goodness, Give Me Thyself;-Only in Thee I Have All
IN this same time our Lord shewed me a spiritual25 sight of His homely loving. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us: He is our clothing that for love wrappeth us, claspeth us, and all encloseth26 us for tender love, that He may never leave us; being to us all-thing that is good, as to mine understanding. Also in this He shewed me a little thing, the quantity of an hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as a ball. I looked thereupon with eye of my understanding, and thought: What may this be? And it was answered generally thus: It is all that is made. I marvelled how it might last, for methought it might suddenly have fallen to naught for little[ness]. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasteth, and ever shall [last] for that God loveth it. And so All-thing hath the Being by the love of God. In this Little Thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the third, that God keepeth it. But what is to me verily the Maker, the Keeper, and the Lover,—I cannot tell; for till I am Substantially oned27 to Him, I may never have full rest nor very bliss: that is to say, till I be so fastened to Him, that there is right nought that is made betwixt my God and me. 10 It needeth us to have knowing of the littleness of creatures and to hold as nought28 all-thing that is made, for to love and have God that is unmade. For this is the cause why we be not all in ease of heart and soul: that we seek here rest in those things that are so little, wherein is no rest, and know not our God that is All-mighty, All-wise, All-good. For He is the Very Rest. God willeth to be known, and it pleaseth Him that we rest in Him; for all that is beneath Him sufficeth not us. And this is the cause why that no soul is rested till it is made nought29 as to all things that are made. When it is willingly made nought, for love, to have Him that is all, then is it able to receive spiritual rest. Also our Lord God shewed that it is full great pleasance to Him that a helpless soul come to Him simply and plainly and homely. For this is the natural yearnings of the soul, by the touching of the Holy Ghost (as by the understanding that I have in this Shewing): God, of Thy Goodness, give me Thyself: for Thou art enough to me, and I may nothing ask that is less that may be full worship to Thee; and if I ask anything that is less, ever me wanteth,—but only in Thee I have all. And these words are full lovely to the soul, and full near touch they the will of God and His Goodness. For His Goodness comprehendeth all His creatures and all His blessed works, and overpasseth30 without end. For He is the endlessness, and He hath made us only to Himself, and restored us by His blessed Passion, and keepeth us in His blessed love; and all this of His Goodness.
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Julian of Norwich (c. 1343–c. 1416). Born around November 8, 1343, likely in Norwich, England, Julian of Norwich was an English mystic, anchoress, and one of the earliest known female Christian authors. Little is known of her early life, including her birth name, but she may have been from a well-to-do family, possibly educated at a convent. At around 30, during a severe illness in May 1373, she experienced 16 visions or “shewings” of Christ’s Passion, which she later recorded as Revelations of Divine Love, the first book in English known to be written by a woman. Choosing a life of seclusion, she became an anchoress at St. Julian’s Church in Norwich, from which she derived her name, living in a cell to pray and counsel visitors. Her writings, blending profound theology with accessible prose, emphasize God’s love, the motherhood of Christ, and optimism despite sin, famously noting that “all shall be well.” Julian’s work, preserved in short and long texts, influenced medieval spirituality and later readers, though she remained obscure until the 20th century. Unmarried, with no recorded family, she likely died around 1416 in Norwich. She said, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”