Meditations given by the Rev, Bede Jarrett, O.P., during the Novena preached in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in preparation for the celebration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the Apparitions at Lourdes, February 2nd - February 10th, 1933
Now she, God’s Mother, was herself the recipient of God’s mercy. She knew what mercy meant. When she chanted her Magnificat she spoke of "His mercy from generation unto generation.” She spoke of His kindness to Israel, "mindful of His mercy.” Israel had been treated with mercy, and yet Israel had been broken and scattered, Israel had been in captivity. Still a remnant had been redeemed, brought back, led home. That was God’s mercy. She realised that it was God’s mercy that dealt with her. God’s mercy made her a Mother, His Mother. God’s mercy led her through all her ways. Some of her ways were joyous ways and some of them full of pain. Yet, in all of them was God’s mercy. She knew that all her sorrows came to her from Him. She saw that her life was deliberate, on the divine side of it, perfectly deliberate, forseen, planned. When the Child left her, as a child ran away, her question showed she knew this: "Son, why hast Thou done this?” "Thou?” He had done it. She had not lost Him. He had run away without a word. "Why hast Thou done this? Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. Why hast Thou done it?” That is how she saw all her life. When she followed that Son up to Calvary she knew that God was doing or allowing whatever happened. She knew that. To her, with her supernatural outlook, with her seeing of God everywhere, in everything, to her not far from God at any time, all her world was evidently governed by God. All the pain and anguish of her Son were part of God’s deliberate intention. Deliberate. That is how she saw her world. God behind it all.
That is how we have to see it. Deliberate. Remember that word. All our life governed by God deliberately. All our anguish, all our pain — that is God’s doing. God, at least, has allowed it and allowed it with His eyes wide open — if we may speak of Him so. When you cry out to God in your suffering, do not imagine that your suffering shows that God has forgotten you. God is merciful. Always must we see life so. What? See God’s mercy in everything? Yes, for God is merciful. Everything God does must be done mercifully. God cannot lay aside His mercy. His very justice is guided by mercy. Mercy is above all His works. You must not say to yourself only, "God is merciful.” You must say, "Everything God does to me is done out of mercy.” It was mercy that made Him deal with the children of Israel as He did. Cruel? Ah, no. It looked cruel. Mercy, that is His method, always His method. That is what His mother had to learn. As she watched the Son, her Son, God’s Son, dealt with, she had to say to herself, "Now mercy, mercy is behind it all.” Not mere justice, the naked sword of justice — but mercy, for all God’s justice is tempered by mercy.
Now she, God’s Mother, was herself the recipient of God’s mercy. She knew what mercy meant. When she chanted her Magnificat she spoke of "His mercy from generation unto generation.” She spoke of His kindness to Israel, "mindful of His mercy.” Israel had been treated with mercy, and yet Israel had been broken and scattered, Israel had been in captivity. Still a remnant had been redeemed, brought back, led home. That was God’s mercy. She realised that it was God’s mercy that dealt with her. God’s mercy made her a Mother, His Mother. God’s mercy led her through all her ways. Some of her ways were joyous ways and some of them full of pain. Yet, in all of them was God’s mercy. She knew that all her sorrows came to her from Him. She saw that her life was deliberate, on the divine side of it, perfectly deliberate, forseen, planned. When the Child left her, as a child ran away, her question showed she knew this: "Son, why hast Thou done this?” "Thou?” He had done it. She had not lost Him. He had run away without a word. "Why hast Thou done this? Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. Why hast Thou done it?” That is how she saw all her life. When she followed that Son up to Calvary she knew that God was doing or allowing whatever happened. She knew that. To her, with her supernatural outlook, with her seeing of God everywhere, in everything, to her not far from God at any time, all her world was evidently governed by God. All the pain and anguish of her Son were part of God’s deliberate intention. Deliberate. That is how she saw her world. God behind it all.
That is how we have to see it. Deliberate. Remember that word. All our life governed by God deliberately. All our anguish, all our pain — that is God’s doing. God, at least, has allowed it and allowed it with His eyes wide open — if we may speak of Him so. When you cry out to God in your suffering, do not imagine that your suffering shows that God has forgotten you. God is merciful. Always must we see life so. What? See God’s mercy in everything? Yes, for God is merciful. Everything God does must be done mercifully. God cannot lay aside His mercy. His very justice is guided by mercy. Mercy is above all His works. You must not say to yourself only, "God is merciful.” You must say, "Everything God does to me is done out of mercy.” It was mercy that made Him deal with the children of Israel as He did. Cruel? Ah, no. It looked cruel. Mercy, that is His method, always His method. That is what His mother had to learn. As she watched the Son, her Son, God’s Son, dealt with, she had to say to herself, "Now mercy, mercy is behind it all.” Not mere justice, the naked sword of justice — but mercy, for all God’s justice is tempered by mercy.
