All Shall Be Well

Background

Julian of Norwich (c.1342 – c. 1416) is renowned on several counts: she was the first known woman author in the English language, and she was an “anchoress,” cloistered and continually abiding in a cell attached to her church, and widely esteemed for her wisdom.  She recounted her mystical conversation with Jesus in Revelations of Divine Love, which is the source of her most famous quote: “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner [of] thing shall be well.”  What many do not realize is that this phrase is from the mouth of Jesus; in her conversation, she first asked him why there should be evil and suffering in the world.  To this question, he answered: “It behooved that evil should be; but all shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner thing shall be well.”

This great statement of assurance is the repeating refrain of this anthem.  The verses are structured in antiphonal unison statements of additional text, gleaned from other sections of Julian’s Revelations:

Verse 1:
In my love, you have your beginning
In weal and woe, you rest in my love.
If you would know your Maker’s meaning,
Know it well: My meaning is love.

Verse 2:
I did not say you will not be troubled,
I did not say you will not be tried,
I did not say you will not know sorrow,
But I do say: You shall not be overcome.

Verse 3:
Suddenly, you will be taken,
Out of your pain, and out of your woe,
And you will come up above,
And you will be filled with joy.
Then shall all see what now is hidden,
Then shall all say, with one voice:
Love, blessed may You be;
Because it is so, it is well.