Julian had this vision, like her others, during the receipt of the Last Rites.
Living at the time of the Black Death, the worst century in recorded history, one of horror, fear and recrimination, she still found herself unable to see God as a wrathful avenger. Instead her writings are steeped in awareness of His boundless compassion.

Chapter 14 – the 6th Showing

The sixth Revelation is of the worshippfull thanke with which He rewardith His servants, and it hath three joyes. Fourteenth chapter.

After this our good Lord said,
I think and feel for you in your travail,
particularly in your youth.

In my mind I was raised into Heaven,
and saw Him as a lord in his own house,
who has called all his dear, worthy servants
and all his friends
to a solemn feast.

Then I did not see the Lord sit in His own house,
but saw Him royally reign there,
filling it with joy and mirth,
endlessly gladdening
and comforting His dear worthy friends
with full homeliness and full courtesy,
with a marvelous melody of endless love
in His own fair blessed manner,
which glorious hospitality of the godhead
fills the Heavens with joy and bliss.

God showed three degrees of bliss,
that every soul that willingly served Him
in any degree in earth,
shall have in Heaven.

First is the blessed feeling for our Lord
he shall receive when delivered of pain;
a feeling so high and worshipful
that he thinks it fills him,
as though there could be no more.
For I felt that all the pain and travail
that could be suffered by all living men
could not deserve the worshipful thanks
that one man shall have
that has willingly served God.

Second, that all the blessed creatures in Heaven
shall see that worshipful thanking,
for He makes his service known to all that are in Heaven.

And then this example was shown:
if a King thanks his servants,
it is a great worship to them;
and if he makes it known to all the realm,
his worship is greatly increased.

Third, as new and pleasant as it is received
so shall it truly last without end.

And I saw, homely and sweetly as this was shown,
the life of every man shall be known in Heaven,
and shall be rewarded for his willing service
and for his time.

And especially the life of those
that willingly, freely offer their youth to God,
is surpassingly rewarded and wonderfully thanked.

I saw whenever man or woman,
turn truly to God,
for that day’s service and endless intent,
they shall have all these three degrees of bliss.

And the more that the loving soul
sees this courtesy of God,
the likelier he is to serve Him
all the days of his life.

Chapter 15 – The 7th Revelation

The seventh Revelation is of oftentymes felyng of wele and wo etc.; and how it is expedient that man sumtymes be left withoute comfort, synne it not causeing. Fifteenth chapter.

And after this He showed a sovereign spiritual delight in my soul.

I was filled with a lasting sense,
security, mightily sustained,
with no painful dread.

This feeling was so glad, so spiritual,
that I was all at peace and at rest,
as though nothing in earth should grieve me.

This lasted but a while,
and I was turned and left to myself,
in heaviness and weariness of my life,
in irritation with myself,
that I hardly had patience to live.

There was no comfort nor ease to me,
but faith, hope, and love.
And of these I had in truth,
but little feeling.

Then soon again our blessed Lord
gave me again the comfort
and the rest in soul,
delight and security
so blissful and so mighty,
that no dread, no sorrow,
nor bodily pain that might be suffered,
should have discomforted me.

And then I felt the pain again,
and then the joy and the delight,
now that one, now the other, many times,
I suppose about twenty times.

And in the same time of joy
I might have said with Saint Paul,
nothing shall separate me from Christ’s love.
And in the pain I might have said with Peter,
Lord save me, I perish.

This vision was shown me to my mind
that it is useful to some souls to feel this
sometimes to be in comfort,
sometimes to fail,
and be left to themselves.

God wishes us to know
that He keeps us equally safe
in woe and well-being.
For profit of man’s soul,
he is sometimes left to himself,
though sin is not ever the cause.

For in this time I did not sin
so as to be left to myself,
for it was so sudden.
Nor deserved this blessed feeling.
Our Lord gives freely when He will,
and sometimes lets us be in woe,
and both is one love.

God wishes us this comfort
to cling to with all our might,
for bliss is lasting without end,
and pain is passing,
and shall be brought to nought
to them that shall be saved.

So it is not God’s will that we dwell
in the feeling of pain,
in sorrow and mourning,
but suddenly pass over to His keeping
in endless delight.

Julian’s eighth Revelation, follows at the end of June.