43 pages 1 hour read

Julian of Norwich

Revelations of Divine Love

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1393

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Themes

Longing for God

Julian speaks about our longing or desire for God, and God's longing for us. Because we lack the immediate vision of God here on earth, our longing to see him “face to face” is great. The idea of God as the supreme object of our desire is epitomized in Chapter 26, where Jesus tells her:

It is I who am highest; it is I you love; it is I who delight you; it is I you serve; it is I you long for; it is I you desire; it is I who am your purpose; it is I who am all; it is I that Holy Church preaches and teaches you; it is I who showed myself here (78).

God in turn longs for our love and allegiance, descending to our level in the Incarnation of his Son in order to reclaim our souls and bring us to heaven with him. There, in heaven, we will know and experience God fully and our longing will be satisfied. 

The Problems with Prayer

Julian devotes a lengthy section towards the middle of the book to prayer and the problems associated with it. She defines prayer as union of the soul with God: “A new, gracious, lasting will of the soul united and fast-bound to the will of God by the previous and mysterious working of the Holy Ghost” (100).