77. "In the remedy He wills that we rejoice" (The Sixteenth Revelation - That the Blissful Trinity, our Maker, in Christ ...) (Revelations of Divine Love) (Julian of Norwich)

OUR good Lord showed the enmity of the Fiend: in which Showing I understood that all that is contrary to love and peace is of the Fiend and of his part. And we have, of our feebleness and our folly, to fall; and we have, of mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, to rise to more joy. And if our enemy aught winns of us by our falling, (for it is his pleasure, ) he loses manifold more in our rising by charity and meekness. And this glorious rising, it is to him so great sorrow and pain for the hate that he has to our soul, that he burns continually in envy. And all this sorrow that he would make us to have, it shall turn to himself. And for this it was that our Lord scorned him, and [it was] this [that] made me mightily to laugh.

Then is this the remedy, that we be aware of our wretchedness and flee to our Lord: for ever the more needy that we be, the more speedful it is to us to draw nigh to Him. And let us say thus in our thinking: I know well I have a .shrewd pain; but our Lord is All-Mighty and may punish me mightily; and He is All-Wisdom and can punish me discerningly; and He is all-Goodness and loves me full tenderly. And in this beholding it is necessary for us to abide; for it is a lovely meekness of a sinful soul, wrought by mercy and grace of the Holy Ghost, when we willingly and gladly take the scourge and chastening of our Lord that Himself will give us. And it shall be full tender and full easy, if that we will only hold us satisfied with Him and with all His works.

For the penance that man takes of himself was not showed me: that is to say, it was not showed specified. But specially and highly and with full lovely manner of look was it showed that we shall meekly bear and suffer the penance that God Himself gives us, with mind in His blessed Passion. (For when we have mind in His blessed Passion, with pity and love, then we suffer with Him like as His friends did that saw it. And this was shown in the Thirteenth Showing, near the beginning, where it speaks of Pity.) For He says: Accuse not [your]self overdone much, deeming that your tribulation and your woe is all for your fault; for I will not that you be heavy or sorrowful indiscreetly. For I tell you, howsoever you do, you shall have woe. And therefore I will that you wisely know your penance; and [you] shall see in truth that all your living is penance profitable.

This place is prison and this life is penance, and in the remedy He wills that we rejoice. The remedy is that our Lord is with us, keeping and leading into the fulness of joy. For this is an endless joy to us in our Lord's signifying, that He that shall be our bliss when we are there, He is our keeper while we are here. Our way and our heaven is true love and sure trust; and of this He gave understanding in all [the Showings] and especially in the Showing of the Passion where He made me mightily to choose Him for my heaven.

Flee we to our Lord and we shall be comforted, touch we Him and we shall be made clean, cleave we to Him and we shall be sure, and safe from all manner of peril.

For our courteous Lord wills that we should be as homely with Him as heart may think or soul may desire. But [let us] beware that we take not so recklessly this homeliness as to leave courtesy. For our Lord Himself is sovereign homeliness, and as homely as He is, so courteous He is: for He is very courteous. And the blessed creatures that shall be in heaven with Him without end, He will have them like to Himself in all things. And to be like our Lord perfectly, it is our very salvation and our full bliss.

And if we wish not how we shall do all this, desire we of our Lord and He shall teach us: for it is His own good-pleasure and His worship; blessed may He be!