Ep 11 - The 13th Shewing pt. 3 - All Shall Be Well w/ Kris McGregor

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All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor

Episode 11: The Thirteenth Shewing (Part 3) —
Sin, Contrition, and the Tenderness of God’s Love

Summary:

In this episode, we are guided into a deeper into the closing chapters of the Thirteenth Shewing. Julian confronts the painful reality of sin, but also the astonishing way God transforms even our wounds into worship. She sees how contrition, compassion, and longing for God purify the soul and prepare it for heaven, and how shame is turned into joy. Julian insists there is no harder hell than sin itself, yet reminds us that Christ’s mercy always seeks to heal and restore. Through her visions, she teaches us to hate sin for love of God while endlessly loving the soul as God loves it. This episode concludes with Julian’s reassurance that we are kept securely in God’s mercy, called to live lives of repentance, prayer, and sacramental grace as we await the day when truly “all shall be well.

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 11:

From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters XXXVII-XL, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).

The Universality of Sin and the Tenderness of God

“GOD brought to my mind that I should sin. And for pleasance that I had in beholding of Him, I attended not readily to that shewing; and our Lord full mercifully abode, and gave me grace to attend. And this shewing I took singularly to myself; but by all the gracious comfort that followeth, as ye shall see, I was learned to take it for all mine even-Christians: all in general and nothing in special: though our Lord shewed me that I should sin, by me alone is understood all.”(Ch. 37)

When Sin Is Turned to Worship

“Also God shewed that sin shall be no shame to man, but worship. For right as to every sin is answering a pain by truth, right so for every sin, to the same soul is given a bliss by love: right as diverse sins are punished with diverse pains according as they be grievous, right so shall they be rewarded with diverse joys in Heaven according as they have been painful and sorrowful to the soul in earth. For the soul that shall come to Heaven is precious to God, and the place so worshipful that the goodness of God suffereth never that soul to sin that shall come there without that the which sin shall be rewarded; and it is made known without end, and blissfully restored by overpassing worship.” (Ch. 38)

The Three Medicines of the Soul

“As long as we are in this life, what time that we by our folly turn us to the beholding of the reproved, tenderly our Lord God toucheth us and blissfully calleth us, saying in our soul: Let be all thy love, my dearworthy child: turn thee to me — I am enough to thee — and enjoy in thy Saviour and in thy salvation. And that this is our Lord’s working in us, I am sure the soul that hath understanding therein by grace shall see it and feel it.

And though it be so that this deed be truly taken for the general Man, yet it excludeth not the special. For what our good Lord will do by His poor creatures, it is now unknown to me.” (Ch. 39)

Hating Sin, Loving the Soul

“But now if any man or woman because of all this spiritual comfort that is aforesaid, be stirred by folly to say or to think: If this be true, then were it good to sin so as to have the more meed, or else to charge the less guilt to sin, beware of this stirring: for verily if it come it is untrue, and of the enemy of the same true love that teacheth us that we should hate sin only for love. I am sure by mine own feeling, the more that any kind soul seeth this in the courteous love of our Lord God, the lother he is to sin and the more he is ashamed. For if afore us were laid together all the pains in Hell and in Purgatory and in Earth, death and other, and by itself sin, we should rather choose all that pain than sin. For sin is so vile and so greatly to be hated that it may be likened to no pain which is not sin. And to me was shewed no harder hell than sin. For a kind soul hath no hell but sin.” (Ch. 40)

“And [when] we give our intent to love and meekness, by the working of mercy and grace we are made all fair and clean. As mighty and as wise as God is to save men, so willing He is. For Christ Himself is [the] ground of all the laws of Christian men, and He taught us to do good against ill: here may we see that He is Himself this charity, and doeth to us as He teacheth us to do. For He willeth that we be like Him in wholeness of endless love to ourself and to our even-Christians: no more than His love is broken to us for our sin, no more willeth He that our love be broken to ourself and to our even-Christians: but [that we] endlessly hate the sin and endlessly love the soul, as God loveth it. Then shall we hate sin like as God hateth it, and love the soul as God loveth it. And this word that He said is an endless comfort: I keep thee securely.” (Ch. 40)

Scripture Featured

(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV] )

(1 John 1:8–9)

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

(Romans 5:20)

“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

“Sin is present in human history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other names would be futile.” (CCC 386)

“To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the profound relation of man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity’s rejection of God and opposition to him, even as it continues to weigh heavy on human life and history.” (CCC 386)

“There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.” (CCC 605)

“Sin is an offense against God: ‘Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight.’ Sin sets itself against God’s love for us and turns our hearts away from it.” (CCC 1805)

“Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are at the same time reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins. This sacrament imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles.” (CCC 1422)

“The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which ‘binds everything together in perfect harmony.’ It is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and goal of their Christian practice.” (CCC 1827).

Reflection Questions for Prayer

1. Julian tells us that sin is “no harder hell” than itself, yet God keeps us securely in His love. How does this shape the way you see your own struggles with sin?
2. She urges us to endlessly hate sin but endlessly love the soul. In your life, what does it mean to hold that balance in relationships with others and with yourself?
3. Julian’s witness is that mercy, compassion, and longing for God turn wounds into worship. Where do you see God already transforming sorrow into joy in your journey??

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You who revealed to Julian that all shall be well,
teach us to hate sin as You do,
but to love the soul as You love.
Grant us contrition to be cleansed,
compassion to be made ready,
and holy longing to be made worthy of heaven.
Keep us securely in Your mercy,
and let every wound be healed into worship.
May we walk in the hope of Your promise,
until we are one with You forever.

Amen.