The Hazelnut
Julian of Norwich
“This is a Revelation of Love that Jesus Christ, our endless bliss, made in Sixteen Shewings...”
“These Revelations were shewed to a simple creature unlettered, the year of our Lord 1373, the Thirteenth day of May.”
Divisions of Showings
Introductory thoughts (chapters 1–3) The first fourteen revelations, each in turn (chapters 4–43) Thoughts about the foregoing fourteen revelations (chapters 44–63) Revelations fifteen and sixteen in turn (chapters 64–86)
The Showings (1-8)
The Crown of Thorns and God's love for all that is made. The face of Jesus on the Cross All creation is in God's wise care The scourging of Jesus, and the spilling of his blood The evil one defeated by the cross
The Showings (9-16)
The love for humanity that brought Christ to his Passion fills the heavens The broken heart of Jesus for love of the world Mary, mother of Jesus The glory of Christ The great deed of God's making amends for our sin, which prevents us, and that he will make all
The Hazel Nut (ch 5)
"And in þis he shewed me a lytil thyng þe quantite of a hasyl nott. lyeng in þe pawme of my hand as it had semed. and it was as rownde as eny ball. I loked þer upon wt þe eye of my vnderstondyng. and I þought what may þis be. and it was answered generally thus. It is all þat is mad. I merueled howe it myght laste. for me þought it myght sodenly haue fall to nought for lytyllhed. & I was answered in my vnderstondyng. It lastyth & euer shall for god louyth it. and so hath all thyng his begynning by þe loue of god. In this lytyll thyng I sawe thre propertees. The fyrst is. þt god made it. þe secunde is þet god louyth it. & þe þrid is. þat god kepith it."
“Suddenly I saw the red blood trickle down from under the Garland hot and freshly and right plenteously, as it were in the time of His Passion when the Garland of thorns was pressed on His blessed head who was both God and Man, the same that suffered thus for me.”
“He that made all things for love, by the same love keepeth them, and shall keep them without end.”
“Here saw I a great oneing betwixt Christ and us, to mine understanding: for when He was in pain, we were in pain.” Chapter 8
“I may make all thing well, I can make all thing well, I will make all thing well, and I shall make all thing well; and thou shalt see thyself that all manner of thing shall be well.” Chapter 31
“That which is impossible to thee is not impossible to me: I shall save my word in all things and I shall make all things well. “That which is impossible to thee is not impossible to me: I shall save my word in all things and I shall make all things well.” Chapter 32
And I saw no difference between God and our Substance: but as it were all God; and yet mine understanding took that our Substance is in God: that is to say, that God is God, and our Substance is a creature in God. Chapter 54
“As verily as God is our Father, so verily God is our Mother; and that shewed He in all.” Chapter 59
“I was answered in ghostly understanding, saying thus: Wouldst thou learn thy Lord’s meaning in this thing? Learn it well: Love was His meaning. Who shewed it thee? Love. What shewed He thee? Love. Wherefore shewed it He? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same. But thou shalt never know nor learn therein other thing without end. Thus was I learned that Love was our Lord’s meaning.” Chapter 86
“Thus was I learned that Love was our Lord’s meaning.”