It was on May 13th 1373 that, at the age of 30, Julian of Norwich received her revelations. As there is a record of Margaret Kempe (more about whom later) coming to seek her spiritual direction, she must have been still alive as a recluse in 1416.
The basic facts of her experiences are easy to set down. Born about 1342, she received her Revelations (Shewings) when on the point of death having received the Last Rites of the church. Known to us today as Julian or Lady Julian, her true name remains a mystery. She is named after the Church to which her hermitage was attached. Over two days she received 16 revelations and soon after wrote down a short account. Known as ‘The Short Text’ it consists of 25 chapters. She produced the ‘Long Text 20 years later – they numbered 86 chapters.
Her prayer was somewhat unusual to our 21st century ways of thinking. She had 3 ‘intentions’ or ‘requests’. They were:
1. to ‘have mind’ of the Passion of Christ.
2. to have a bodily illness
3. to have 3 wounds of contrition, compassion and a longing with her will for God (ST 1, p. 125-126)
She prayed for the first two “be they the will of God”; and they gradually fell into the background with her; for the 3rd she prayed absolutely.
Julian summarizes the 6 elements of the revelations in chapter 8: Firstly the Passion and the shedding of Christ's blood; secondly, St. Mary, thirdly the divinity almighty, all wisdom and all love; fourthly all creation that is so little and yet good; fifthly, all is preserved by love; sixthly, God as the source of all goodness and himself the supreme good.
The core of the revelation is described: “I saw red blood running down from under the crown, hot and flowing freely and copiously, a living stream, just as it was at the time when the crown of thorns was pressed on his sacred head.” (LT4:181.)
LOVE IS THE CONTEXT OF ALL THE REVELATIONS.
In the first revelation it is especially love as revealed in mercy: "I trusted in the mercy of God.” (LT3:179) The first revelation immerses us into the Trinity.
"Suddenly the Trinity filled my heart full of the greatest joy, and I understood that it will be so in heaven without end to all who will come there. For the Trinity is God, God is the Trinity. The Trinity is our maker. The Trinity is our protector. The Trinity is our everlasting lover. The Trinity is our endless joy and bliss, by our Lord Jesus Christ and in our Lord Jesus Christ. And this was revealed in the first vision and in them all. For where Jesus appears, the blessed Trinity is understood, as I see it." (LT 4:181)
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