A Part of His Passion
Julian of Norwich describes the intense pain and suffering of Christ's Passion, particularly the drying of His flesh, which was the most painful part of His suffering.
Julian of Norwich describes a vivid vision of Christ's Passion, focusing on the gradual changes in His appearance as He suffered on the cross. She details the transformation of His face from fresh and ruddy to pale, then to a deep brown-blue as death approached. Julian emphasizes the intense pain and drying of Christ's flesh both internally and externally, symbolizing the prolonged suffering endured for humanity's salvation. She reflects on the profound agony Christ experienced, likening it to a prolonged death over seven nights, highlighting the ultimate sacrifice and love demonstrated through His Passion.
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AFTER this Christ shewed a part of His Passion near His dying.
I saw His sweet face as it were dry and bloodless with pale dying. And later, more pale, dead, languoring; and then turned more dead unto blue; and then more brown-blue, as the flesh turned more deeply dead. For His Passion shewed to me most specially in His blessed face (and chiefly in His lips): there I saw these four colours, though it were afore fresh, ruddy, and pleasing, to my sight. This was a pitiful change to see, this deep dying.
And also the [inward] moisture clotted and dried, to my sight, and the sweet body was brown and black, all turned out of fair, life-like colour of itself, unto dry dying. For that same time that our Lord and blessed Saviour died upon the Rood, it was a dry, hard wind, and wondrous cold, as to my sight, and what time [all] the precious blood was bled out of the sweet body that 36 might pass therefrom, yet there dwelled a moisture in the sweet flesh of Christ, as it was shewed.
Bloodlessness and pain dried within; and blowing of wind and cold coming from without met together in the sweet body of Christ.
And these four,--twain without, and twain within--dried the flesh of Christ by process of time. And though this pain was bitter and sharp, it was full long lasting, as to my sight, and painfully dried up all the lively spirits of Christ's flesh. Thus I saw the sweet flesh dry in seeming by part after part, with marvellous pains. And as long as any spirit had life in Christ's flesh, so long suffered He pain.
This long pining seemed to me as if He had been seven nights dead, dying, at the point of outpassing away, suffering the last pain.
And when I said it seemed to me as if He had been seven night dead, it meaneth that the sweet body was so discoloured, so dry, so shrunken, so deathly, and so piteous, as if He had been seven night dead, continually dying. And methought the drying of Christ's flesh was the most pain, and the last, of His Passion.
Sermon Outline
- The Passion of Christ
- Christ's body undergoes a transformation
- 'Four colours appear on Christ''s face: pale, dead, blue, and brown-blue'
- The body becomes dry and lifeless
Key Quotes
“This long pining seemed to me as if He had been seven nights dead, dying, at the point of outpassing away, suffering the last pain.” — Julian of Norwich
“The drying of Christ's flesh was the most pain, and the last, of His Passion.” — Julian of Norwich
“For His Passion shewed to me most specially in His blessed face (and chiefly in His lips): there I saw these four colours, though it were afore fresh, ruddy, and pleasing, to my sight.” — Julian of Norwich
Application Points
- We should reflect on the intense pain and suffering of Christ's Passion and be grateful for His sacrifice.
- The drying of Christ's flesh represents the pain and suffering that Christ endured for our sins.
- We should seek to understand the significance of Christ's Passion and its relevance to our lives.