The Message of Lourdes - Part I

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 11 Feb 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we commemorate the first apparition of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous at Massabielle, Lourdes in 1858. Over the last 154 years, Lourdes has become a major centre of pilgrimage, known for its water that has healed many; but what actually is the message of Lourdes? This is what I would like to share on, based on articles from the Lourdes magazines.

The message of Lourdes can be found in the conversations between the Blessed Virgin Mary and Bernadette, alongside the actions carried out during the 18 apparitions.

1^st apparition: 11^th February 1858

Fourteen-year-old Bernadette saw in the Grotto of Massabielle, a very beautiful young lady as small as herself, about 140cm tall. They each made the sign of the cross. This sign, which we receive and which admits us into the family of the Trinity, thus became their first “greeting”. Bernadette prayed the Rosary while the lady fingered through the beads of the rosary she was holding in silence.

2^nd apparition: 14^th February 1858

The lady smiled at Bernadette sprinkling holy water. Absorbed in “another world”, Bernadette went into a state of ecstasy. The “other world” came to meet Bernadette at “her height”, close to her, just as heaven came to join us as a child at the stable in Bethlehem. Bernadette called the lady, simply, Aquero, which means “That one”.

3^rd apparition: 18^th February 1858, first Thursday of Lent

There was an exchange of promises.

“Would you do me the favour of coming here for fifteen days?” Aquero asked.

For the first time in her life, Bernadette, poor and despised, felt respected and honoured.

“Yes,” she replied.

Then Aquero said, “I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the other.”

Bernadette did not understand what the “other world” meant, but she would always experience it, which is, in fact, a world of love and joy of life in spite of her suffering. It is also life after death.

4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th apparitions: 19^th, 20^th, 21^st, 23^rd February 1858

During these apparitions, Bernadette recited the Rosary with Aquero and often spoke lovingly and joyfully with her. The crowd that attended the apparitions grew.

8^th apparition: 24^th February 1858

Bernadette cried because Aquero was sad. Aquero said, “Penance, penance, penance” and “Pray to God for sinners.”

9^th apparition: 25^th February 1858

Aquero said to Bernadette, “Would it bother you to go up on your knees and kiss the ground for sinners…to eat the grass there? Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.”

Bernadette hesitated at first, and went towards the river. Aquero directed her to the Grotto. There, Bernadette knelt and scratched at the muddy earth. She lifted some muddy water to her mouth and smeared her face. The people cried, “She has gone mad!” But some saw in her state the resemblance to Jesus, the Suffering Servant in the book of Isaiah; the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

After spitting the muddy water out three times, she could drink it. Bernadette kept digging; a spring of fresh water then gushed out from the mud. She washed her smeared face with the fresh water and drank it to remove the muddy taste.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, whose identity was not yet revealed then, had made Bernadette understand that she should always carry others, especially sinners, those who do evil, in prayer. Thus will the infernal circle of reciprocal accusation be broken.

From this apparition onwards, no one understood anything.

Now, we understand that through the mud, the muddy water, and the pure water, Bernadette represents Jesus Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

Her action of eating grass recalled the Israelites reminding themselves of the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt by chewing bitter herbs.

10^th, 11^th and 12^th apparitions: 27^th and 28^th February and 1^st March 1858

In the 10^th and 11^th apparitions, these actions and Aquero’s words were repeated. “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself there”; “Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners”; “Would you eat grass for sinners?”

It signified that Bernadette’s gestures would bring about conversion of heart.

The first recorded miracle of a cure happened during the 12^th apparition.

We are at the central message of Lourdes.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, before we move on to the rest of the apparitions, let us reflect on what we have just heard. The actions and words were seemingly puzzling, but the message is actually simple, clear and universal. Does it touch you? Let it stay with you for a week.