As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother.
Julian of Norwich
God Is Our Father and Mother
Topic: Divine Love & Goodness
Whereof it follows that as truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother. Our Father wills, our Mother works, our good Lord the Holy Ghost confirms. And therefore it belongs to us to love our God, in whom we have our being… for in these three is all our life… And therein is a forth-spreading, by the same grace, of a length and breadth, of a height and a deepness without end [see Ephesians 3:18–19]. And all is one love.
Julian of Norwich (c. 1343–after 1416) was an English anchoress and mystic of the Middle Ages. She is renowned for her book Revelations of Divine Love, which is considered one of the earliest surviving works of English literature written by a woman.
Julian lived in the city of Norwich during a tumultuous period marked by the Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt. In the midst of these upheavals, she experienced a series of profound visions of the Passion of Christ in 1373, when she was around 30 years old. These visions transformed her understanding of God's love, leading her to believe that all people are loved unconditionally by God, even in their sinfulness.
Julian's Revelations of Divine Love is a beautiful and moving meditation on the love of God, exploring themes such as the compassion of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the hope of salvation. She also delves into the mystery of suffering and the role of pain in spiritual growth. Although her writings were not published during her lifetime, they were carefully preserved by her followers and later rediscovered and translated into English in the 19th century. Today, Julian of Norwich is recognized as one of the most important Christian mystics and theologians, renowned for her profound insights into the nature of God's love and her emphasis on the harmony between faith, nature, and grace.
Revelations of Divine Love
Julian of Norwich. The Revelations of Divine Love of Julian of Norwich, trans. James Walsh (Harper and Brothers: 1961), 162. [The Fourteenth Revelation, ch. 59 (Long Text)].
Julian of Norwich
Theme: Divine Father and Mother
About This Julian of Norwich Quote [Commentary]
Julian of Norwich proclaims with prophetic authority, “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother,” offering an expansive vision of the Divine. In this statement, Julian reveals God as encompassing both paternal and maternal attributes, transcending traditional gender roles. God as Father embodies will and purpose, while God as Mother reflects active, nurturing care. These complementary roles show the fullness of divine love, which includes both guidance and sustenance. Julian’s language draws us into a deeper relational understanding of God, emphasizing intimacy and balance. By comprehending God as both Father and Mother, we open ourselves to experience a fuller spectrum of divine love in our daily lives.
The context passage deepens this vision by uniting the Father, Mother, and Holy Spirit in a seamless expression of divine grace. Julian draws on the imagery from Ephesians to describe God’s love as infinite in every dimension—length, breadth, height, and depth. This boundless love arises from the Father’s will, the Mother’s work, and the Spirit’s confirming presence. Julian’s portrayal of these roles as interwoven reveals a Divine unity that is dynamic and relational. She invites us to recognize that divine love flows unceasingly, encompassing all aspects of creation and life.
Julian concludes with the transformative truth that “all is one love.” Her vision of God as both Father and Mother unites divine qualities into an all-encompassing love that transcends human distinctions. This understanding calls us to trust deeply in a God whose grace is limitless and whose presence nurtures, guides, and sustains every aspect of life. By embracing this integrated view of the Divine, we open ourselves to a love that affirms and values the feminine as well as the masculine realities of our existence, reminding us that God’s daughters and sons are equally cherished. Julian’s words resonate with the assurance that divine love is both universal and profoundly personal, drawing all into the boundless life of God.
Richard Rohr’s Commentary About This Quotation [Excerpt]
Richard Rohr, in The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, reflects deeply on Julian of Norwich’s proclamation, “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother,” highlighting her bold use of feminine imagery to describe the Divine. Rohr notes, “Julian of Norwich, the fourteenth-century English mystic, was not afraid to speak of God in feminine imagery. She even referred to Jesus as ‘our Mother’ because she recognized that the divine nature transcends our limited human notions of gender.”
—Rohr, Richard. “The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation.” Whitaker House, 2016, p. 123.
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