The Book of Margery Kempe Book I, Chapters 71-75 Summary

Chapter 71

Kempe has revelations concerning who should be the Prior of Lynn. Her peculiar understanding of the situation turns out to be accurate.
When the matter of the new prior is finally settled, the dude is called away to France to serve King Henry V. But King Henry dies (in 1422), and the prior gets to stay in Lynn, just as he wishes, and just as Kempe had predicted.
Kempe is also given foreknowledge about the Bishop of Winchester, who everyone thought was dead. Kempe, however, knows accurately that he is alive.
Kempe has many such insights into happenings that affect the lives of the people in Lynn.

Kempe discusses how she becomes more perfect in her spiritual life. It includes feeling sadness for her sins, being humble, and fearing the Lord. And crying. Lots of crying.
Kempe can't bear to see another person being punished for anything, since it reminds her of her own unworthiness in the eyes of God.
Kempe also has "alternative experiences" in other life situations. If she sees a prince, she thinks of Christ; if she sees the consecrated host, she weeps and sobs.
Kempe attends the dying and sees a suffering Christ in each of her "patients."
Kempe still attracts the notice of people with power and is invited to chat with a lady. The lady's priest dislikes her (all that sobbing), but the lady sees that Kempe is holy.
Kempe can't return the compliment: the lady's household is full of inappropriately dressed, ill-behaved people.

Kempe describes her experiences on a Holy Thursday, when she has visions of Christ saying goodbye to his mother, Mary Magdalene, and his apostles.
Of course, this is overwhelming for Kempe, and she cries out as usual. People are annoyed and don't know what to think.
Kempe describes a similar moment, when she witnesses the death of the Virgin Mary. She wants us to understand that these moments in salvation history feel personal, as if she were there.
Mary promises Kempe that all her sorrow will be replaced with joy when she gets to heaven—which will not be soon.
However, Mary does promise Kempe, again, that she will get there eventually.

Kempe has just about had enough of crying and sadness in her life. She asks Christ how long it will be before she can join him in heaven.
Christ tells Kempe that she has to hang in there for fifteen more years. He explains that in this she is no different than St. John the Evangelist or Mary Magdalene, who also had to live on after his death.
Kempe now turns her attention to the sick in her town—especially the lepers. She sees the suffering Christ in each of these people.
Although she hated the thought of touching a leper when she was worldly and prosperous, Kempe now feels the urge to kiss them—on the mouth.
Kempe helps a woman who has many "temptations" (yup: sexual thoughts) and who feels that the devil is out to get her.
The woman gets better.

A man whose wife is suffering from Postpartum Psychosis tells Kempe about his problems. Kempe knows a thing or two about this, so she promises the man that she will attend to his wife.
Although the lady is uncontrollable around other people, she is quiet around Kempe. In fact, she sees angels surrounding Kempe when Kempe enters the room.
Kempe prays for the woman, and Jesus tells her that the woman will get better in time. And so she does.
People consider the lady's recovery a miracle.