by Julian Of Norwich (Author)
Julian (or Juliana, no one is quite sure) was a Christian mystic born in 1342 at Norwich, England. Devout and sincere she prayed for three boons - a personal understanding of Christ's passion, physical illness to the point of death, and 'three wounds' sincere contrition, loving compassion, and a true yearning for God. Not until she was 30 years old were her prayers answered. In 1373 she suffered a severe and mysterious malady which prompted a series of visions of Christ's crucifixion in which she stood below the cross with Mary His mother. Julian spent the next twenty years contemplating those visions, eventually dictating her revelations and deep reflections to a scribe (she describes herself as "a simple creature unlettered"). The result is this present work, the first book authored by a woman in English. More than fifteen years after her experience, Julian believed she finally understood its true meaning: "Who showed it to you? Love. What did He show you? Love. Why did He show it? For love. Hold yourself in this truth..."