Jesus, the Thirsty Mother: Jesus’ Desire as a “Good-Enough Mother” to Nourish his Children While Simultaneously Thirsting for Them
This paper explores the paradox of Jesus, the thirsty mother in the Eucharist.
Julian of Norwich’s writings highlight the under-explored theme of divine, thirsty motherhood. The maternal Jesus wishes to nourish his/her children through the materiality of the Eucharist, while experiencing continuous thirst for them. To illumine this paradox, I draw on strands of medieval mystical literature, psychoanalysis and material practice. I bring together Julian’s writings with D.W. Winnicott’s “good-enough mother”, insights from the Brabant/Liege Vitae, and recent work by Hannah Lucas, to offer a fresh perspective on Jesus’ motherly role in the Eucharist. My paper benefits from the new awareness of Eucharistic loss gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigates Julian’s understanding of a hope-filled, future fulfilment of Jesus’ thirsty desire and of his/her children’s longing for their divine mother.