Mary's "Yes" and ours

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we near the end of this Easter week, approaching Mercy Sunday, I was especially blessed by today’s Gospel Commentary by Fr. Jean de Cassaude which reminded me of how Mary’s “Yes” to God in the mystery of the Incarnation remained constant throughout her life. As Mother and Model of the Church, Mary shows us: we too can, by God’s Grace, say our own “Yes” to whatever He may permit in our lives. Let us ponder the insights of Fr. de Cassaude:

Easter Friday

Commentary of the day
Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751), Jesuit
Abandonment to divine Providence (ed. J. Ramière, SJ)
« It is the Lord! »

All creatures that exist are in the hands of God. The action of the creature can only be perceived by the senses, but faith sees in all things the action of the Creator. It believes that in Jesus Christ all things live, and that his divine operation continues to the end of time, embracing the passing moment and the smallest created atom in its hidden life and mysterious action. The action of the creature is a veil which covers the profound mysteries of the divine operation.

After the Resurrection Jesus Christ took his disciples by surprise in his various apparitions. He showed himself to them under various disguises and, in the act of making himself known to them, disappeared. This same Jesus, ever living, ever working, still takes by surprise those souls whose faith is weak and wavering. There is not a moment in which God does not present himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or of some duty to be performed. All that takes place within us, around us, or through us, contains and conceals his divine action. It is really and truly there present, but invisibly present, so that we are always surprised and do not recognise his operation until it has ceased.

If we could lift the veil, and if we were attentive and watchful, God would continually reveal himself to us, and we should see his divine action in everything that happened to us, and rejoice in it. At each successive occurrence we should exclaim: “It is the Lord," and we should accept every fresh circumstance as a gift of God. We should look upon creatures as feeble tools in the hands of an able workman, and should discover easily that nothing was wanting to us, and that the constant providence of God disposed him to bestow upon us at every moment whatever we required.

Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of Mercy, pray for us, that we may live our “Yes” as you lived your “Yes” daily. By God’s Grace, may we grow especially through our trials, in faith, hope and above all Charity, bringing the Light of Christ to others. Jesus, we trust in You.