All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode Three: The 2nd and 3rd Shewing — Desire, Prayer, and Trust in God’s Hidden Work
Summary:
In Episode 3, we explore Julian’s Second and Third Shewings, where the vision of Christ’s suffering and the image of “God in a point” draw us into a profound understanding of love, trust, and divine providence. Julian teaches that even in the face of pain and mystery, God’s presence is near, sustaining all things. We reflect on the difference between seeking and beholding, the grace of perseverance in prayer, and the assurance that God is working all things toward His perfect end. Through rich imagery and deep theological insight, Julian invites us to see that nothing is by accident—and that love is always at the center.

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 3:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters X-XI, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
The Blood from the Crown — A Vision of Love in Suffering


“AND after this I saw with bodily sight in the face of the crucifix that hung before me, on the which I gazed continually, a part of His Passion: despite, spitting and sullying, and buffetting, and many languoring pains, more than I can tell, and often changing of colour. And one time I saw half the face, beginning at the ear, over-gone with dry blood till it covered to the mid-face. And after that the other half [was] covered on the same wise, the whiles in this [first] part [it vanished] even as it came.”  (Ch. X)

“It is God’s will that we seek Him, to the beholding of Him, for by that He shall shew us Himself of His special grace when He will. And how a soul shall have Him in its beholding, He shall teach Himself: and that is most worship to Him and profit to thyself, and [the soul thus] most receiveth of meekness and virtues with the grace and leading of the Holy Ghost. For a soul that only fasteneth it[self] on to God with very trust, either by seeking or in beholding, it is the most worship that it may do to Him, as to my sight.” (Ch. X)

“These are two workings that may be seen in this Vision: the one is seeking, the other is beholding. The seeking is common,—that every soul may have with His grace,—and ought to have that discretion and teaching of the Holy Church.” (Ch. X)

It is God’s will that we have three things in our seeking:
—The first is that we seek earnestly and diligently, without sloth, and, as it may be through His grace, without unreasonable heaviness and vain sorrow.
—The second is, that we abide Him steadfastly for His love, without murmuring and striving against Him, to our life’s end: for it shall last but awhile.
—The third is that we trust in Him mightily of full assured faith.


For it is His will that we know that He shall appear suddenly and blissfully to all that love Him.


For His working is privy, and He willeth to be perceived; and His appearing shall be swiftly sudden; and He willeth to be trusted. For He is full gracious and homely: Blessed may He be!” (Ch. X)





The Third Shewing — God in a Point


“And after this I saw God in a Point, that is to say, in mine understanding,—by which sight I saw that He is in all things.” (Ch. XI)


What Is Sin? What Is Providence?