It may not seem like sad clowns, shameless prostitutes, and merciless judges have much in common. According to Georges Rouault (1871-1958), however, each of these characters represents humankind’s fall from grace. Grief and tragedy, vice and corruption, pride and prejudice all symbolize our broken lives and our need for God’s mercy and redemption. Rouault once said: “Peace seems never to reign over this anguished world of shams and showdowns.”

In response to the carnage wrought by the First World War, Georges Rouault created a series of ink drawings called Miserere (which means misery in French). This collection, which was later printed on paper using copper plates, transcends the horrors of war and speaks more broadly about the overall human experience. It represents the pain, misery, and suffering of life, but also the enduring promise of faith, hope, and love in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Georges Rouault wrote: “My only ambition is to one day paint Christ so movingly that those who see Him will be converted.” Indeed, Rouault drew or painted the image of Jesus hundreds of times. Fourteen of the fifty-eight engravings in Miserere depict some scene in the life of Christ. Among these is a breathtaking depiction of the Lord’s death (see detail above or our newsletter cover) inspired by a passage from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians: “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!”

Rouault reveals a Jesus who is dead upon the cross. He frowns. His eyes are closed. He is tortured and tormented. He is surrounded by dark shadows. And yet, rays of light flow from his head. His whole body seems to be illuminated from within. Despite his passion and death, Jesus almost appears to be already rising from the wood of the cross. This is our faith. This is our hope. This is our love. This is our life. This is our salvation. This is the source of our conversion and redemption.

Writing more about his own longings than about the sufferings of Christ, Georges Rouault inscribed this masterpiece with these words: “O Jesus Crucified! He paints to forget about this life, the relentless boredom, far from this world of shadows and disguises. He left silently toward the blessed regions by which he is haunted day and night, toward the blessed regions where everything is harmony to the eyes, to the heart, and to the mind.” We all know, of course, that such “blessed regions” are hard to find. True harmony is elusive. Peace is almost impossible to create and sustain in a world gone mad. And yet, we still have hope.

Our hope is Rouault’s hope. Our only ambition is Rouault’s ambition. We may never paint, sculpt, or write in a way that converts the whole world — let alone our own friends and families. But all of us, working together as humble laborers in the Lord’s vineyard, can make a real and lasting difference. We can bring Christ to life in thought, word, and deed. We can make our small corner of the world a blessed region. We can stand with Georges Rouault and cry out: “Our only ambition is to live Christ so movingly that those who see Him in us will be converted.” Amen!

Brother Patrick Garvey
Associate Minister & Diocesan Hermit
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: brpatrick@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (3-24-24)
Bringing Home the Word (3-24-24)
The Kids Bulletin (3-24-24)
Learn More: Georges Rouault Foundation
Listen: Brother Patrick’s Prayer for Holy Week

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Call to Prayer
A Confession of Faith

By Saint Paul the Apostle