How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Page)
Quote #1
And soon after, because of the dread she had of damnation on the one hand, and his sharp reproving of her on the other, this creature went out of her mind and was amazingly disturbed and tormented with spirits for half a year, eight weeks and odd days. (I.1.41)
What Kempe is suffering here is probably what we would now call post-partum depression. Kempe herself wouldn't have had name for this, but she guesses it, which is why she gives the context of her first childbirth in this part of the narrative. Her physical ailments give way to a spiritual crisis. That's not unusual—except that Kempe's suffering has a distinct religious element to it.
Quote #2
She lay beside her husband, and to have intercourse with him was so abominable to her that she could not bear it, and yet it was permissible for her at a rightful time if she wished it. But all the time she was tormented to sin with the other man because he had spoken to her. (I.4.50)
Kempe feels called to chastity and the contemplative life—but she is the mother of fourteen children, and she's just been joke-propositioned by a man in the town. These are serious challenges, indeed. Kempe's candor in speaking of these difficulties is pretty cool, and it shows that she's forging a new path for women who were thought to be past the possibility of a spiritual life.
Quote #3
These feelings and others like them, many more than can be written, both of living and dying, of some to be saved, of some to be damned, were great pain and punishment to this creature. She would rather have suffered any bodily penance than these feelings.... (I.23.90)
Kempe has a tender heart and goes toe-to-toe with Jesus about the whole damnation issue. Of course, she loses, and Jesus tells her she just has to accept that some people aren't going to make it. Although Jesus has given her a free pass on her sins, Kempe feels pretty bummed that any human should suffer eternally.
Quote #4
Then many people were amazed at her, asking her what was wrong with her; to which she, like a creature all wounded with love, and in whom reason had failed, cried with a loud voice: "The Passion of Christ slays me." (I.41.136)
Direct communion with divinity has its perks: you get the skinny on the spiritual status of other people, and you can ask for favors pretty efficiently. But then there's this: Kempe suffers right alongside Christ because she enters into the events of his Passion emotionally. It feels to her as though she's seeing all the terrible events of the end of Christ's life right before her eyes.
Quote #5
"Ah, blissful Lord, I would rather suffer all the cutting words that people might say about me, and all clerics to preach against me for your love [...] than this pain that I have." (I.56.176)
So, Kempe really doesn't like physical illness. While she often doesn't think she can bear the emotional and spiritual strain of the contemplative life, one good case of dysentery convinces her that physical suffering might just have as much merit as spiritual labor.
Quote #6
And this affliction lasted twelve days altogether, and just as previously she had four hours in the morning of holy speeches and confabulation with our Lord, so she now had as many hours of foul thoughts and foul recollections of lechery and all uncleanness, as though she would have prostituted herself with all manner of people. (I.59.183)
Kempe has lost a fight with Jesus about the damnation of souls. And for her disobedience, J. C. has taken away all the "good thoughts and speeches" that he's been having with her and allows the devil equal time—just so that she knows the difference between true good and evil. Kempe does not like this one bit. She especially hates that she feels compelled to do gross and evil things.
Quote #7
And just as before she had many glorious visions and high contemplation upon the manhood of our Lord, upon our Lady, and upon many other holy saints, even so now she had horrible and abominable visions—despite anything she could do—of seeing men's genitals, and other such abominations. (I.59.183-184)
A crucial part of the contemplative life is leaving behind the concerns of the body. And this especially means giving up on the pleasures—or sins—of the flesh. Whenever Kempe feels temptation to sin, it's often a lusty kind of sin, and this time is no exception. Kempe's vow of chastity—both in thought and action—comes under siege when Jesus takes away his companionship for twelve days. It's excruciating to her.
Quote #8
She thought that all her joy was gone. She saw her Lord ascend up into heaven, yet she could not do without him on earth [...] Such holy thoughts and holy desires caused her to weep, and people did not know what was wrong with her. (I.73.214)
Sometimes, when Kempe does everything right and feels spiritually on point, suffering is her reward. It can hard to wrap our minds around this, but Kempe does feel that this ability to empathize with Christ is a gift. Don't worry if you don't get it—her neighbors didn't, either.
Quote #9
And then, when she was barren in this way, she could find no joy or comfort in food or drink, or chat, but was always glum of face and manner until God would send tears to her again, and then she was happy enough. (I.82.240)
Jesus makes it clear that he is in control of Kempe's tears. This often makes life difficult for her socially. But without her tears, Kempe really doesn't know what to do with herself. Whenever Jesus decides to withdraw them from her, it's like she loses a little bit of her identity.
Quote #10
When they were outside the towns, her companions took off their clothes, and, sitting about naked, picked themselves for vermin [...] This creature was afraid to take off her clothes as her fellows did, and therefore, through mixing with them, she caught some of their vermin and was dreadfully bitten and stung both day and night, until God sent her other companions. (II.6.281)
Suffering comes to Kempe in many forms, and this time, it's lice, or possibly scabies. When she is forced to take up with a group of very poor people to get back to Calais, she finds that modesty isn't always the best policy. Along with dysentery and post-partum depression, this is one of the worst episodes of physical suffering that Kempe experiences.
Quote #11
And at nights she was often most afraid, and perhaps this was because of her spiritual enemy, because she was always afraid of being raped or violated. She dared trust no man; whether she had any reason or not, she was always afraid. (II.7.285)
Kempe lives a contemplative life, so it's not surprising that some of her most intense suffering would come from her own mind. But this fear of sexual violation has two sides to it: she's afraid that it would somehow make her fail in her vow of chastity, and she's afraid that it is genuinely a terrifying physical experience. Even Kempe herself can't tell how well founded this fear is. But it's real to her, and it causes her serious anxiety.