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
Our Lady had her love of God, her real deep love of God. The woman in the crowd praised His Mother because she was His Mother. "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee.” "No, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.” He praised rather her faith, that she knew and obeyed God. St. Luke loves to use the word, "ponder,” about Our Blessed Lady. He is so often telling us that, "the Mother kept these things in her heart.” There she is, in all that happens, even in perplexity, knowing God, loving God. All she had was faith. She had nothing more than faith. Faith, as you and I have! She had no teaching given her by which to live other than faith, but how it sweetened all her life for her, and how she loved God, and how out of her faith and love she had hope and trust, undaunted! She was valiant! The others scattered under the threat of death, she remained. It was her courage that gave all the others courage. You must have noticed that in the passion all the men behaved badly. All of them failed, except St. John; but St. John was kept alive by her own blessed courage. It was the women who were faithful, not the men, and they were of her company, and it was she who held them together. Though the world shook and though the darkness covered Him, she stood unmoved. When the darkness lifted she was found still standing under the Cross — her faith, her love, her hope undaunted. She lived without fear. What she had in herself she can give us. If we keep ourselves in her company she can radiate her love and faith and hope to us. Out of love she can give life, supernatural life, to all our living. Through her faith our own faith finds life sweetened at every turn.
Our Lady had her love of God, her real deep love of God. The woman in the crowd praised His Mother because she was His Mother. "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee.” "No, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.” He praised rather her faith, that she knew and obeyed God. St. Luke loves to use the word, "ponder,” about Our Blessed Lady. He is so often telling us that, "the Mother kept these things in her heart.” There she is, in all that happens, even in perplexity, knowing God, loving God. All she had was faith. She had nothing more than faith. Faith, as you and I have! She had no teaching given her by which to live other than faith, but how it sweetened all her life for her, and how she loved God, and how out of her faith and love she had hope and trust, undaunted! She was valiant! The others scattered under the threat of death, she remained. It was her courage that gave all the others courage. You must have noticed that in the passion all the men behaved badly. All of them failed, except St. John; but St. John was kept alive by her own blessed courage. It was the women who were faithful, not the men, and they were of her company, and it was she who held them together. Though the world shook and though the darkness covered Him, she stood unmoved. When the darkness lifted she was found still standing under the Cross — her faith, her love, her hope undaunted. She lived without fear. What she had in herself she can give us. If we keep ourselves in her company she can radiate her love and faith and hope to us. Out of love she can give life, supernatural life, to all our living. Through her faith our own faith finds life sweetened at every turn.
