All Shall Be Well

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

“The Revelations of Divine Love”

Today, we celebrate the life of Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416). We do not know Julian's actual name but her given name is taken from St. Julian's Church in Norwich, England where she lived as an anchoress for most of her life. Julian was known as a spiritual counsellor. She lived an unusual life as an anchorite, never leaving her rooms adjoining the church, and she was so famous in her own time that people left money to sustain her. 

People would come to her cell in Norwich to seek advice. At the time, the citizens of Norwich suffered from plague, poverty as well as a famine, so she must have counselled many people in pain.

In 1373, at the age of 30, she was seriously ill and thought she was on her deathbed. DUring this time, Julian experienced a series of visions showing the Passion of Christ. After recovering from her illness, she wrote about her experiences in her book, “The Revelations of Divine Love.” Her writings are filled with hope and trust in God's goodness. Julian teaches us that life is painful, but it can be borne with grace.

The theme of divine love recurs frequently in her visions. She understood the central message for spiritual life: God is love and it is only if you are open to this love, totally and with total trust, that true peace and joy will be found.

The words quoted frequently from her book are “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” She also says God did not say, “You shall not be tormented, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be grieved,” but God said, “You shall not be overcome.”

These are messages she received in her visions when she was struggling to see how, in the face of suffering and sin, all could be well. Julian of Norwich took these words from God, understanding them to say that God will ultimately overcome all evil, all sin and all suffering in such a way that humanity can and will experience the profound love of God.