To read Julian’s Revelations in order, which is far better, begin at the Introduction. She continues here a remarkably interwoven, almost triple-plaited, study of the nature and relationship between the soul and its Creator which she began in chapter 52 .

Wickednes is turnyd to bliss be mercy and grace in the chosyn, for the properte of Godis to do good ageyn ille be Jesus our Moder in kynd grace; and the heyest soule in ver-tue is mekest, of which ground we have other vertues

Fifty-ninth chapter

We have all this bliss, by mercy and grace,
in a manner we might never have known
if the properties that gave us this bliss,
had been anything other than God’s goodness.

For evil may rise against good,
but mercy and grace rise against evil,
turning all to goodness and worship
for those that shall be saved.

For God’s nature is to do good against evil;
our true being is from Jesus Christ,
where our true motherhood begins,
with all the sweet keeping of love
that endlessly follows.

As God is our true father,
so God is our true Mother;
which He showed in these sweet words
where He said, I AM.

That is to say,
I AM, the might and goodness of the fatherhood.
I AM, the wisdom of the Motherhood.
I AM, the light and grace that is all blessed love.
I AM, the Trinity; I AM, the Unity.
I AM the sovereign goodness of all things.
I AM that that makes you love.
I AM that that makes your longing.
I AM, the endless fulfilling of all true desires.

For the soul is highest, noblest, worthiest
when it is lowest, meekest, and mildest;
in this substantial soil are all our virtues,
all our sensuality, by gift of kinship with God
and the help and speeding of mercy and grace,
without which we may not profit.

Our high father, Almighty God, all that is,
knew and loved us from before any time;
by which, in His marvellous deep charity,
by the foreseeing, endless counsel
of all the blessed Trinity, His desire was
that the Second Person should become
our Mother, our brother, and our saviour.

So, as God is our father and our Mother,
as our Father wishes, our Mother works,
our Lord the Holy Spirit makes good,
we should love God in whom we have our being;
reverently thanking and praising Him
for our making; mightily praying
to our Mother of mercy and pity, –
to our Lord, Holy Spirit of help and grace.

For in these three is all our life –
kinship, mercy, and grace;
from which we have meekness, mildness, patience,
pity – and hate of sin and wickedness,
for virtue must hate sin and wickedness.

And thus is Jesus our kindred Mother
from our first making;
our true Mother in grace,
taking our kindred nature.

All the fair, sweet, kindly role
of precious motherhood
is embodied in the Second Person,
for in Him we have this godly will,
whole and safe without end,
in both kinship and grace,
of His own proper goodness.

I saw three forms of Motherhood in God.
First, our birth in kinship with God.
Second, our kindred, family Motherhood.
Third, Mothering itself, growing, by grace,
length, breadth, height, and depth without end –
all by His own love.