On this day in 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary began to appear to fourteen-year old Marie Bernade Soubiros. There were eighteen apparitions; the last was on 16 July 1858. The message of Lourdes is a call to personal conversion, prayer, and charity. (Fr James Socias et al [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, p1481)
Lourdes: The first apparition
In 1858, this day fell on a melancholy rainy Thursday. There was no firewood at the house, as the last bundle had been sold to procure some food. Bernadette, her sister Toinette, and their friend Jeanne Abadie, nicknamed Baloume, volunteered to go down by the Gave river and gather some wood.
The three little girls started off towards the river, and crossed the canal whose waters drove the Savy Mill, until they reached the Isle of Chalet. Opposite the place where the canal and river met, there was a huge rock overlying an elongated grotto about eight yards long. Everyone called the spot Massabielle (old cliff).
From their vantage point the children saw a nice pile of driftwood by the Gave, but they would have to cross the stream to reach it. Bernadette, who was not too keen about wading into the ice-cold water, hesitated a bit while the other girls were already on their way.
Bernadette, well aware of her poor health asked her companions to place some stepping stones in the water so she could avoid wetting her legs, but to no avail. She would have to take off her stockings, the little luxury which served as a bit of protection for her frail body.
Bernadette began undoing the first stocking. At this point she heard a strong gust of wind blowing but when she turned around, all was still and the trees weren’t the slightest bit ruffled. She resumed undoing the stocking, but she heard the same noise again. She raised her head and saw a woman standing in the grotto.
Bernadette described her as dressed in white with a white veil over her head, a skyblue girdle, and a rose on each foot. Clasped in her hands was a rosary of white beads. “Then I put my hand in my pocket and took out my rosary. I wanted to cross myself but I just couldn’t get my hand up to my forehead, it was glued to my side”, she recounted.
When the Lady clad in white then raised the rosary and crossed herself, Bernadette managed to imitate her. At the end of this mystic recital of the Rosary, the Lady beckoned Bernadette towards her, but Bernadette was too frightened and the vision suddenly disappeared.
Bernadette couldn’t resist asking the other girls if they had seen anything. They replied that they hadn’t, but that they had noticed her acting a bit oddly. The question made them curious. All the way home they begged her to confide in them. She confided in her sister Toinette alone the brief encounter in the grotto.
Toinette, however, reported everything to their mother who, frightened, hastened to question Bernadette. Her daughter’s brief replies scared her even more; Bernadette was probably running a fever. She good-naturedly scolded the child and ended the matter by forbidding Bernadette to set foot in Massabielle again.
Ref: G Menotti, “Lourdes”, p3
Lourdes: Suffering, Sanctified and Sanctifying
The reality of faith, of hope and of charity; of the presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and His Church on earth. A presence particularly alive in that elect portion of the Church: the sick and the suffering.
If animated by faith, they turn to Lourdes. Why? Because they know that as at Cana, ‘there is the Mother of Jesus’ and where She is, her Son cannot be absent. Sick of all sort go on pilgrimage to Lourdes, borne up by hope that, through Mary, Christ’s saving power may be manifested in them ... reveals itself in the ‘spiritual sphere’ above all. ...
At Lourdes the sick discover the inestimable value of their suffering ... the meaning that pain may have in their lives, when interiorly renewed by that flame which consumes and transforms in the life of the Church ...
By the Cross of Her Son on Calvary, the Most Holy Virgin courageously shared in His Passion. She knows how to convince ever fresh souls to unite their sufferings with Christ’s sacrifice, in a joint ‘offertory’, which surpasses time and space; embraces and saves the whole of mankind.
Ref: cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp86-7
Learning to sanctify illness
We should feel favoured when Our Lord gives us a taste of his Cross. He may send us physical pain or other equally real forms of suffering: humiliations, failures, insults, misunderstandings within the family. At such times Christ’s redemptive work continues through us; and we become co-redeemers with him.
That pain, which had seemed useless and harmful, turns into joy and becomes a treasure. We can then say, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions ...” (Col 1:24)
Pain “is not only of use to others, but fulfils a service for which there is no substitute. In the Body of Christ suffering, permeated by the spirit of his sacrifice, is an irreplaceable mediator and source of goods which are indispensable for salvation of the world. Suffering, more than anything else, makes present the power of the Redemption.” (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, “Salvifici doloris”, 27, 11 Feb 1984)
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:203-4
Holy Mary, Health of the sick (‘Salus infirmorum’)
As we pray today, let us bring to Mary our every need. She knows us very well; hears our petitions, wherever we may be. This motherly assistance should fill us with peace and joy. Like small children we should not become separated from our mother in heaven.
In the intimacy of our prayer we can ask her for so many things: help in the apostolate, lights for our interior life, favors for our friends. Let us go wholeheartedly to Mary. She will always get us what we want or need, so that ‘good might be drawn from evil. Great good can be drawn from great evil.’ She will always console us. “Comfort of the afflicted, Help of Christians” ... pray for us. ...(Divine Office, “Closing prayer of Morning Prayer”)
Ref: cf Francis Fernandez, Op cit, 6:99-101, 104
St. Mary of Liques, near Calais. This Premonstratensian monastery was founded in the year 1131, by Robert, Lord of Liques. -— Gallia Christiana, t. iv. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
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