Julian of Norwich's Words for Today by Fr Luke Penkett

God did not say, ‘You shall not be tempest-tossed, you shall not be work-weary, you shall not be discomforted,’ but he said, ‘You shall not be overcome’

These words are taken from Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with which she encouraged the anxious, the grieving, and the lonely men and women of her time.

‘In some ways, Julian’s world was not unlike ours. The fourteenth century, in which she lived, was a turbulent period … plague struck Norwich three times during Julian’s life.’ We learn this in the introduction to Enfolded in Love, one of two books of short extracts from Julian’s writings, arranged for us to meditate on, to nourish us, to reassure us, published by DLT for a new as well as a returning readership last year.

First published in 1980, this wonderful collection has brought comfort and hope to tens of thousands of people around the world and it’s not surprising that countless people are discovering and re-discovering that the depth of her spiritual commitment and theological insight is as pertinent today as it was more than six hundred years ago.

Revelations of Divine Love is not a series of mystical flights written for the so-called ‘spiritual elite’ but, rather, is full of both devotional richness and theological perception that can enable each of us to deepen our own spiritual life and understanding today. And Julian is no ‘airy-fairy’ mystical theologian. She knew what real suffering was, experiencing it, not only in her own body, but also through the sights, and sounds, and smells that daily made her fully aware of the world outside her cell.

Julian’s own life was no escape from the reality of that world. She is completely down-to-earth. It is probably because of this that Julian’s popularity has grown beyond all expectation, offering hope to those for whom hope – and, seemingly, God – is absent.

Throughout her book Julian shares what she has discovered after a lifetime of quiet reflection: that God is not full of anger or judgement, but overflowing with love; that God is both mother and father, lifting us up each time we fall; that God is gentle with those who are weak or hurting; that God gives hope to those who are desperate.

Now, perhaps more than ever before, we need to know and own the fact that we are individually and uniquely loved for who we are, not for what we do, and that we can say along with Julian that indeed, ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’

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This is the latest Lockdown Blog article by one of Darton, Longman and Todd’s amazing authors, offering a personal reflection on our current situation in life. These blogs post are written sometimes in reference to one of the writer’s books, and sometimes about how they are living in response to the coronavirus and our current world situation. We hope it will give you a taste of the depth and diversity of DLT’s list – books for heart, mind and soul that aim to meet the needs and interests of all.

Today’s post is by Fr Luke Penkett, series editor of new editions of the Enfolded in Love series, collecting words of hope and comfort by Julian of Norwich, St Thérèse of Lisieux and St Teresa of Avila.