Revelations of Divine Love by of Norwich Julian
CHAPTER XVIII
490 words | Chapter 25
"When He was in pain, we were in pain"
Here I saw a part of the compassion of our Lady, Saint Mary: for
Christ and she were so oned in love that the greatness of her loving
was cause of the greatness of her pain. For in this [Shewing] I saw a
Substance of Nature's[1] Love, continued by Grace, that creatures have
to Him: which Kind Love was most fully shewed in His sweet Mother, and
overpassing; for so much as she loved Him more than all other, her
pains passed all other. For ever the higher, the mightier, the sweeter
that the love be, the more sorrow it is to the lover to see that body
in pain that is loved.
And all His disciples and all His true lovers suffered pains more than
their own bodily dying. For I am sure by mine own feeling that the
least of them loved Him so far above himself that it passeth all that I
can say.
Here saw I a great oneing betwixt Christ and us, to mine understanding:
for when He was in pain, we were in pain.
And all creatures that ought suffer pain, suffered with Him: that is to
say, all creatures that God hath made to our service. The firmament,
the earth, failed for sorrow in their Nature in the time of Christ's
dying. For it belongeth naturally to their property to know Him for
their God, in whom all their virtue standeth: when He failed, then
behoved it needs to them, because of kindness [between them], to fail
with Him, as much as they might, for sorrow of His pains.
And thus they that were His friends suffered pain for love. And,
generally, _all_: that is to say, they that knew Him not suffered
for failing of all manner of comfort save the mighty, privy keeping
of God. I speak of two manner of folk, as they may be understood by
two persons: the one was Pilate, the other was Saint Dionyse[2] of
France, which was [at] that time a Paynim. For when he saw wondrous
and marvellous sorrows and dreads that befell in that time, he said:
_Either the world is now at an end, or He that is Maker of Kind
suffereth._ Wherefore he did write on an altar: THIS IS THE ALTAR
OF UNKNOWN GOD. God that of His goodness maketh the planets and the
elements to work of Kind to the blessed man and the cursed, in that
time made withdrawing[3] of it from both; wherefore it was that they
that knew Him not were in sorrow that time.
Thus was our Lord Jesus made-naught for us; and all we stand in this
manner made-naught with Him, and shall do till we come to His bliss; as
I shall tell after.
[1] _i.e._ Natural.
[2] Dionysius, "the Areopagite," according to the legend of S. Denis.
[3] MS.--"it was withdrawen from bothe."
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