In Chapter 20 of Julian's Revelations, she turns back to a consideration of Christ's pains. We're still here with the eighth showing, that of Christ's suffering and dying, which goes from Chapters 16-21.
At the end of Chapter 20 Julian describes Christ's joy in undergoing the Passion.
And I, beholdyng al this be His grace, saw that the love of Hym was so strong whych He hath to our soule, that wilfully He ches it with gret desyr and myldly He suffrid it with wel payeyng. For the soule that beholdyth it thus, whan it is touchid be grace, he shal veryly se that the peynys of Crists passion passen al peynys; that is to sey, which peynys shal be turnyd into everlestyng passyng joyes by the vertue of Crists passion.
Translation:
And I, beholding all this by His grace, saw that the love of Him was so strong which He has toward our soul, that willingly He chose it with great desire, and meekly He suffered it with much satisfaction.For the soul that beholds it thus, when it is touched by grace, it shall truly see that the pains of Christ's Passion surpass all pains; that is to say, which pains shall be turned into everlasting surpassing joys by the virtue of Christ's Passion.
The love of Christ was "so strong" "toward our soul" that he "willingly chose" the sufferings of the cross "with great desire" and "much satisfaction."
We're put in mind here of Hebrews 12:2 which describes Jesus this way, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross." Hebrews doesn't explain why or how Christ felt joy when he suffered on the cross. Julian, though, fills in the critical piece. Christ felt joy in his suffering because "the love of Him was so strong which He has toward our soul, that willingly He chose it with great desire, and meekly He suffered it with much satisfaction."
This will be a theme that Julian will return to:
Love was the reason.
