All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode 10: The Thirteenth Shewing (Part 2) —
God’s Hidden Counsels, His Rightfulness, and His Mercy
Summary:

In this episode, we continue our exploration of Julian of Norwich’s Thirteenth Shewing, set against the vibrant faith of 14th-century Norwich. We consider the Church’s clear teaching on heaven, hell, and purgatory, and how Julian’s mystical visions always remained anchored in that truth. She reflects on the “great Secret” God keeps hidden until the appointed time and the truths He reveals through the Church, urging us to trust His timing. Julian then unfolds the harmony of God’s “Rightfulness” — His perfect justice and order — with His unfailing mercy that lifts us from our falls. Finally, she shows us how the Lord calls us tenderly back to Himself, saying, “I am enough to thee,” and how miracles, often preceded by trials, are given to strengthen our faith, increase our hope, and draw us deeper into His love.

For other episodes in this series visit: All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor

Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 10:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters XXXIII-XXXVI, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
Holding Fast to the Faith

“I desired, as [far] as I durst, that I might have full sight of Hell and Purgatory. But it was not my meaning to make proof of anything that belongeth to the Faith: for I believed soothfastly that Hell and Purgatory is for the same end that Holy Church teacheth, but my meaning was that I might have seen, for learning in all things that belong to my Faith: whereby I might live the more to God’s worship and to my profit.”(Ch. 33)
“For though the Revelation was made of goodness in which was made little mention of evil, yet I was not drawn thereby from any point of the Faith that Holy Church teacheth me to believe. For I had sight of the Passion of Christ in diverse Shewings, the First, the Second, the Fifth, and the Eighth, wherein I had in part a feeling of the sorrow of our Lady, and of His true friends that saw Him in pain; but I saw not so properly specified the Jews that did Him to death. Notwithstanding, I knew in my Faith that they were accursed and condemned without end, saving those that converted, by grace.” (Ch. 33)

God’s Secrets and Our Understanding

“Our Lord God shewed two manner of secret things. One is this great Secret [Counsel] with all the privy points that belong thereto: and these secret things He willeth we should know [as being, but as] hid until the time that He will clearly shew them to us. The other are the secret things that He willeth to make open and known to us; for He would have us understand that it is His will that we should know them. They are secrets to us not only for that He willeth that they be secrets to us, but they are secrets to us for our blindness and our ignorance; and thereof He hath great ruth, and therefore He will Himself make them more open to us, whereby we may know Him and love Him and cleave to Him. For all that is speedful for us to learn and to know, full courteously will our Lord shew us: and [of] that is this [Shewing], with all the preaching and teaching of Holy Church.” (Ch. 34)

God’s Rightfulness and Mercy


“Rightfulness is that thing that is so good that [it] may not be better than it is. For God Himself is very Rightfulness, and all His works are done rightfully as they are ordained from w...