In Chapter 22 of Julian's Revelations we reach the ninth of her sixteen showings.
In Chapters 16-21 Julian had been reflecting upon the sufferings and death of Christ. But here, in Chapter 22, Julian turns to consider the reward and delight of the Trinity in Christ’s suffering for humanity. Specifically, the Father expresses delight in the Son for the sacrifice he has made for all of humanity. As Julian writes;
The werkyng of the Fader is this, that He gevyth mede to His son Jesus Criste. This geft and this mede is so blisful to Jesus, that His Fader myht have goven Hym no mede that myght have lykyd Hym better.
[The working of the Father is this, that He gives reward to His Son Jesus Christ. This gift and this reward is so blissful to Jesus, that His Father might have given Him no reward that might have pleased Him better.]
The pathos of Chapter 22, however, comes from a conversation Christ has with Julian.
Christ asks: "Art thou wele payd that I suffrid for thee? [“Are you well satisfied that I suffered for you?”]
Julian answers with great joy and gratitude.
And to that Jesus says, "if I myht suffre more, I wold suffre more." ["If I could suffer more, I would suffer more."]
Julian then goes on to reflect upon the magnitude of Christ's love, that he would have keep suffering, infinitely so, if that had been required of him. She tries to count the number of times Christ was willing to die for her, and the number boggles her mind:
And in these words, If that I might suffre more, I would suffer more, I saw sothly that as often as He myght deyen, so often He wold, and love should never let Him have rest til He had don it. And I beheld with gret diligens for to wetyn how often He would deyn if He myght, and sotly the noumbre passid myn understondyng and my wittis so fer that my reson myghte not ne coude comprehend it ... But for to dey for my love so often that the noumbre passith creature reson - it is the heyest profir that our Lord God myght make to manys soule, as to my syte...
And love was without begynnyng, is, and shall be without endyng; for which love He seyd ful swetely these words, If I myght suffre more, I wold suffre more.
Translation:
And in these words, “If I could suffer more, I would suffer more,” I saw truly that as often as He could die, so often He would, and love would never let Him have rest until He had done it.
And I beheld with great diligence to know how often He would die if He could, and truly, the number passed my understanding and my wits so far that my reason might not nor could comprehend it ... But to die for my love so often that the number passes creaturely reason — it is the highest offering that our Lord God might make to man's soul, as to my sight...
And love was without beginning, is, and shall be without ending; for which love He said full sweetly these words, “If I could suffer more, I would suffer more.”
