St. Bernadette Soubirous

This is the day when St. Bernadette saw the Blessed Virgin,

I thought that we should remember her also.

 

"I am the Immaculate Conception". These are the words with which our Blessed Mother addressed herself to Bernadette in Lourdes, France. Today is that day Pius IX proclaimed in 1854 to be held in honor of this title of our Lady.  This day isn't always celebrated for her, but, in some places, today is the day.  Following concerns OUR LADY OF LOURDES and the apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette.

 

As a young 14-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubirous had multiple visions of the Blessed Lady in a grotto in the outskirts of Lourdes. Although her visions were widely doubted at the time, her humility, truthfulness and modesty encouraged many to believe. A few years after her reported visions, she became a nun and took the name Sister Marie Bernarde. She was later canonized by the Catholic Church. Lourdes has become one of the most popular locations of religious pilgrimage.

Short biography of Bernadette Soubirous

Bernadette was born on January 7th, 1844, into a loving and devoted family. At the time of her birth, her family were relatively prosperous; however, due to a series of misfortunes, her family were plunged into dire poverty. At one point, Bernadette’s father was arrested on suspicion of stealing firewood (a single wood plank); he was later released without charge, but the event was indicative of their poverty. Because of the family’s poverty, they were forced to live in a single room that used to be a prison cell. The cell was so dank that it was actually deemed to be too “unsanitary” even for prisoners. However, despite their material privations, the family were said to be loving and devoted to each other. The young children were brought up to accept their lot without complaint. Bernadette herself was generally very well liked and displayed great courtesy and kindliness to others. She suffered from ill health (asthma aggravated by damp living quarters) and because of the family’s poverty she missed the opportunity to get a proper schooling. When she was 14, she was still studying the basic Catechism with 7-year-old children. Thus she was intellectually ignorant of concepts such as the Immaculate Conception, which was soon to have a great impact on her life. (And, hope for us)

OUR LADY of LOURDES  (1858)

The first of the eighteen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the humble Bernadette Soubirous took place at Lourdes on February 11, 1858. On March 25th, when Bernadette asked the beautiful Lady Her name, She replied: "I am the Immaculate Conception." The Church for long centuries had believed in Her Immaculate Conception, Her exemption from every trace of the original sin which through Adam, our first and common father, separated man from his God. It was never proclaimed a dogma, however, until 1854. Mary Herself, in 1830, had asked of a Vincentian Sister at the Rue du Bac in Paris, that a medal be struck bearing Her likeness and the inscription: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee." Our Lady by Her apparitions at Lourdes in 1858 seems to convey Her appreciation for the formal proclamation of Her great privilege, by Pius IX, in 1854. Countless and magnificent miracles of healing have occurred at Lourdes, confirmed by physicians and recorded in the Lourdes shrine "Book of Life." To name but one: a doctor wrote a book describing the great miracle he had witnessed for a dying girl, whom he had observed on the train that was carrying handicapped persons from Paris to Lourdes. He had not expected her to survive and return home from the sanctuary.

Through the Lourdes Apparitions, the devotion of persons in all parts of the world to the Immaculate Mother of God has been wonderfully spread, and countless miracles have been wrought everywhere through Her intercession. The Virgin Mother of God is truly the chosen Messenger of God to these latter times, which are entrusted to Her, the chosen vessel of the unique privilege of exemption from original sin. Only with Her assistance will the dangers of the present world situation be averted. As She has done since 1858 in many places, at Lourdes, too, She gave us Her peace plan for the world, through Saint Bernadette: Prayer and Penance, to save souls.


I remember when working that a certain believer (not Catholic), would talk about Jesus' immaculate conception. I told him that this miracle pertained to His Mother, not Him, since Jesus was perfect, and not in need of any kind of special graces. I asked my friend that if he could have formed his own mother, wouldn't he want her to be as perfect as possible? He answered in the affirmative. I then told that Jesus did too, and that He did it for her at her conception, freeing her from the sin of Adam and Eve, because nothing is impossible to God. I left him to ponder this, which I'm sure he did, because he was a very contemplative type of person. Although, he didn't bring it up again. It must have been one of those crossroads for him, since he was a minister in the United Brethren church. We still got along great anyway, with many discussions on all sorts of topics. May God rest his soul, since he passed away a few years ago. He did, however, look just like Santa Claus, as we have seen in many portrayals.

Anyway, Bernadette's appeal for us was, and is: "Penance, penance, and penance." May this upcoming Lent keep us whole, and keep reminding us of this appeal.  Through the Lourdes Apparitions, the devotion of persons in all parts of the world to the Immaculate Mother of God has been wonderfully spread, and countless miracles have been wrought everywhere through Her intercession. The Virgin Mother of God is truly the chosen Messenger of God to these latter times, which are entrusted to Her, the chosen vessel of the unique privilege of exemption from original sin. Only with Her assistance will the dangers of the present world situation be averted. As She has done since 1858 in many places, at Lourdes, too, She gave us Her peace plan for the world, through Saint Bernadette: Prayer and Penance, to save souls.

Also, please remember in your prayers for my best friend, Jim. He had a bout with the big "C" a few years ago and lost. Just when he thought he was clear of this disease, it came back with a vengeance. He had been told that it is now inoperable and incurable. I know he believed in Jesus, but he was not Catholic. I read the prayers for the dying from the "Pieta" book, which are very beautiful. I told him that the prayers were Catholic, but that the word 'catholic' means universal, so every one can use the effects. He wasn't offended. I hope they console him wherever he is now. Also, I would like to ask for prayers for his wife, Judy. I don't know if she is a believer, but she can use the prayers. Maybe we can help her in her grief and sorrow, hopefully to bring her around so that she doesn't despair and reject God entirely.  She has lost her mother, one daughter, and her husband in the span of a couple of years.

Lord, have mercy on us. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us and obtain for us that mercy.



Indulgenced Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes: 

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, who to reanimate the faith of the world and draw men to thy divine Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, didst deign to appear at Lourdes; thou who, in order to render more manifest thy maternal tenderness, and to inspire our hearts with greater confidence, didst choose a simple little child as the confidant of thy mercy; thou who didst say: "I am the Immaculate Conception" to make us understand the priceless value of that innocence which is the pledge of the friendship of God; thou who by eighteen successive apparitions didst not cease by thy actions and words to urge men to prayer and penance, which alone can appease Heaven and ward off the blows of divine justice; thou who, by a moving appeal to the world, hast reunited before the miraculous grotto an innumerable multitude of thy children; behold us, Our Lady of Lourdes, prostrate at thy feet, and confident of obtaining blessings and graces from God by thy most powerful intercession. Those who love thee, O Mother of Jesus Christ, Mother of men, desire above everything to serve God faithfully in this world, so as to have the happiness of loving Him eternally in Heaven. Listen to the prayers which we this day address to thee; defend us against the enemies of our salvation, and against our own infirmities; together with the pardon of our sins, obtain for us perseverance in the determination never to fall away again. We implore thee also to take under thy protection our friends and benefactors, and of these in a very special manner those who have abandoned the practice of their Christian duties. May they be converted and become thy faithful servants. Amen.


(Indulgence 300 day, Pope Leo XIII)