The Message of Lourdes - Part II

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 18 Feb 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Last week, we stopped at the central message of Lourdes; the call to penance, to pray for sinners, and Bernadette’s acts for sinners that would bring about conversion of hearts.

We recall the words of the lady, whom Bernadette called Aquero. “Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners”; “Would you eat grass for sinners?”; “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself there”.

This week, we continue with the 13^th apparition.

13^th apparition: 2^nd March 1858

Aquero told Bernadette, “Go and tell the priests that people should come here in procession, and that a chapel should be built here.”

Fr. Peyramale, the parish priest, said to Bernadette, “If your Lady wants a chapel, she must tell us her name and then she must make the rose bush in the Grotto flower!!”

More than a building, the chapel refers to the Church, a people, “moving in procession”, on “pilgrimage”. The Blessed Virgin Mary was encouraging the celebration of Mass. This has come to fruition; today, in full season, two processions (that of the Blessed Sacrament and the Marian candlelight procession) take place daily. More than fifty Masses altogether are celebrated daily throughout the Sanctuary of Lourdes.

14^th apparition: 3^rd March 1858

Aquero repeated her request.

15^th apparition: 4^th March 1858

This was the last of the 15 days requested by Aquero. Bernadette asked for her name, and for the rose bush in the Grotto to flower, as instructed by Fr. Peyramale. Aquero did not give her name, but only smiled.

16^th apparition: 25^th March 1858, Feast of the Annunciation

Bernadette asked, “Madame, would you have the goodness to tell me who you are please?” After she asked four times, Aquero said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette did not understand it, but Fr. Peyramale did.

Only four years before that, the Pope had pronounced the dogma of the ‘Immaculate Conception”, which meant that Mary was born without original sin, and had never sinned. She had chosen to reveal herself on the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel had told her that she would be the Mother of the Saviour.

17^th apparition: 7^th April 1858, third day of Easter

The miracle of the candle took place; Bernadette did not feel the flame of a candle burning her fingers for ten minutes. It reminds us of the Paschal candle lit three days before that, on Easter Sunday, the Light of the Risen Christ. Bernadette became like the bush on fire that did not burn up. She became a light which would burn for God and light up the world.

No words passed between them.

18^th apparition: 16^th July 1858

It was another silent meeting. Bernadette said, “We didn’t need to speak anymore. We just looked at each other.” That is what contemplation is!

Fr. Jean Longère, President of the French Society of Marian Studies, summarised the apparitions as follows:

·   The fifteen days requested by the Lady can be grouped into three progressive periods, namely

     – Prayer (19 – 23 Feb)

     – Invitation to penance and penitential exercises during Lent (25 Feb – 1 Mar)

     – Message for the creation of a pilgrimage (2 – 4 Mar)

The apparitions relating to penance occurred during Lent, characterised by three main gestures:

     ·  The praying of the Rosary

     ·  Smiles alternating with moments of sadness

     ·  Greetings

Mary, the enemy of sin, friend of sinners, calls for conversion. To overcome sin, we need two things. The first is from above, symbolised by water. The second is from men, consisting of prayer and penance. Coming to the sinners’ rescue, the sinless Virgin proposes three ways that bring us back to the Gospel already announced, i.e. the spring of living water, prayer and penance.

Thus Bernadette received a message concerning the world in a simple heart to heart exchange. It is only a call to a change of hearts, no matter what it may cost – a real penance, but the only road to real happiness.

Like Bernadette, the centre of the “Lourdes Message” becomes an Easter experience: “Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.” We must see ourselves as being dirty, i.e. sinful, and to realise that we thirst for life, for it is an awareness of sin that shows the way to grace. This thirst, desire, leads to Christ who is Life. Thus the spring of water reminds us of Baptism, which prepares for the first coming of Christ, the Incarnation.

Brothers and sisters, as we enter Lent next Wednesday, let the message of Lourdes help lead us to this experience.