Our Lady of Lourdes Consolation and
healing for the sick
On February 11, the Catholic Church marks the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, in commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary who in 1858 appeared multiple times to the 14-year old girl Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France.
Bernadette was from a poor family and from a young age suffered ill-health. On 11 February 1858, Bernadette was with her sister and friend playing and gathering wood along the local river when they reached a shallow cave. Bernadette’s companions took their shoes off and entered the water while Bernadette remained, knowing her mother would be angry if she entered the icy water.
After growing impatient, she entered the water and, moving towards the grotto, saw a vision of a young woman dressed in
white with a blue sash. Her hands trembling, Bernadette stayed where she was and reached into her pocket and together with the lady, began to pray the Rosary. The lady then vanished and Bernadette could not comprehend what she had seen. The young girl continued to visit the grotto and pray with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who asked Bernadette to convey the message of repentance and prayer. On one occasion she asked the girl to dig into the ground and drink from the spring she found there.
The Blessed Virgin Mary continued to appear to Bernadette and aid to her, ‘I am the Immaculate Conception.’ Bernadette was a simple and devout Catholic from a poor village family. When she reported the visions to her local priest he was surprised and informed the bishop about it. Her description of the lady as the Immaculate Conception (which had been promulgated by Pope Pius IX only a few years earlier) helped convince the local authorities of the veracity of the apparitions.
Four years later, the local bishop recognised the legitimacy of the apparition and endorsed the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes. Thousands of pilgrims have since flocked to the apparition site, which has become a major site of Marian pilgrimage together with Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) and Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal).
The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was officially included in the Church’s liturgical calendar in 1907. Over the years, there have
been thousands of reports of healing from the spring water at Lourdes, but less than 100 have been recognised by the Church as miraculous.
Direct from Lourdes
The Virgin Mary spoke very little to Bernadette during the apparitions, but her words conveyed innumerable teachings. The Immaculate Conception prayed with Bernadette and taught her to pray. The Immaculate Conception spoke six times to Bernadette leaving the spiritual message of Lourdes to the church and the pilgrims, Bernadette was simply a witness and a faithful messenger, so for this reason no one needs to understand the profound meaning of this message, so that Lourdes can be perceived in all greatness.
Prayer:
The apparitions began with a prayer and continued with a prayer. Prayers should not consists of selfish personal desires. At Lourdes one experience, God the father of love, gives and forgives, whether worthy or not. Prayers should be about praise, gratitude, trust and joy suffering, serenity, solitude health and illness just like the Lourdes Prayer. God bestows strength and hope.
Suffering:
On the 3rd apparition the Immaculate Conception said
“I cannot promise you happiness in this world only in the next”
and the famous words of the gospel “he who wishes to be my disciple, let him take up the cross and follow me”. The Immaculate Conception tells Bernadette that true happiness cannot be found externally, but only within intimate spirit. Honesty, accepting responsibility, goodness and generosity lead to happiness. St Bernadette said “I am happier on my bed of pain than a queen on her throne. To obey is to love, suffering in silence for Christ is joy, to love sincerely is to give everything, above all suffering”.
Penitence, Conversion, Purification:
Penitence, was addressed when the Virgin Mary spoke to Bernadette, this was not a new word used, as Jesus, used this word during his preaching
“if you do not repent you will die in the same way”.
The Virgin Mary reminds us of this, during the apparition. When visiting the domain you are encouraged to make changes to your interior life. The Virgin Mary adds “Pray to God for sinners” this is a wonderful message to remember when you make pilgrim to Lourdes or in everyday life.
