THE MESSAGE OF LOURDES

The Grotto of Lourdes where the Mother of God appeared to Bernadette 18 times from 11 February 1858 to 16 July 1858.

The apparitions in Lourdes were not intended for Bernadette alone as she was only a messenger of God. Although the Immaculate Conception spoke very little during the apparitions, her message does have great significance in our lives.  It is therefore necessary for us to understand the meaning of this message and in order to so, we have to follow in Bernadette's footsteps. The message from Our Lady to Bernadette was a simple one - poverty, prayer, and penance were the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Mother of God had chosen the poor little shepherdess as her faithful messenger to remind us of the importance of living a simple life.

Bernadette grew up in extreme poverty and the apparitions could have made her one of the wealthiest women in France if only she had the intention to make a fortune out of her encounters with the Mother of God. As the visionary of Lourdes, if she were to ask for donations in the name of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the pilgrims would gladly donate when they witnessed so many miracles that were attributed to her. With the donations, she could easily build a megachurch and asked for even more donations until she became filthy rich. However, instead of asking for donations to build a megachurch and profit from the pilgrim boom, she left Lourdes forever "to hide" and became a nun. She joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers in Nevers and devoted her whole life to God and humanity.

THE FIRST MESSAGE OF LOURDES: POVERTY

Poverty is the sign of God's presence among us. Remember the humble stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born? Jesus was born as a poor baby, grew up into a poor young man, and died in poverty. For our sake, he made Himself poor though he was rich, so that we might become rich by his poverty (2 Corinthians 8:9). At the time of the apparitions, Bernadette was living in a one room basement, known as the Cachot (a former prison cell), because her whole family was suffering from extreme dire poverty. What was the Massabielle Grotto like during the apparitions in Lourdes? It was a dirty pig shelter and one cannot deny the fact that it was totally in contrast with the pure Virgin Mary dressed in white. But why did She choose to appear in a dirty grotto instead of a luxurious place? Because the Grotto has something in common with the stable of Bethlehem - it is a very humble place.

In this materialistic world when everyone is chasing after material wealth, not many can live an altruistic life. "I want to remain poor" - that was what Bernadette said to the journalist who wanted to take her to Paris so that she could make herself a fortune by telling the story of her apparitions. Although Bernadette was not a very bright child and had problems learning her catechism, the apparitions had enabled her to understand the meaning and purpose of the intense poverty that she and her family had to endure. Did she not resemble the Son of God, who came to live among us as a poor man among the poor more than 2000 years ago? This is the first message of Lourdes.

THE SECOND MESSAGE OF LOURDES: PRAYER

The apparitions in Lourdes began with prayer and continued through prayer. True prayer is not selfish prayer which concentrates on repetitions of personal requests. It is a prayer of offering which involves one's entire life - a personal meeting and "heart-to-heart" dialogue of love with God. True prayer comes from the heart and goes beyond the mere recitation of words. It enables us to pour out our heart and soul sincerely to God who will give us strength and hope thus drawing us nearer to Him. At the Grotto of Massabielle, Bernadette experienced real prayer, silent and joyous, a prayer of giving which embraced her entire life - her joys and sufferings, her health and illnesses, her serenity and solitude. How did Bernadette pray at the grotto? According to her, "The Lady held her rosary and made the sign of the cross. I got down on my knees and began to recite the rosary." Why the rosary? Praying the rosary is like inviting the Mother of God to intercede for us. It also enables us to meditate on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries - the key mysteries of salvation.

THE THIRD MESSAGE OF LOURDES: PENANCE, CONVERSION, PURIFICATION

The Miraculous Spring in the Grotto

"Penance, penance, penance... Pray to God for the conversion of sinners. Kiss the ground as a sign of penance for sinners, " the Immaculate Conception said to Bernadette to whom she appeared during the eighth apparition on 24 February 1858. Witnesses present at the grotto saw her crawling on her knees and kissing the ground. During the ninth apparition on 25 February 1858, the Immaculate Conception told Bernadette to "Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself."  Bernadette was seen going to the back of the grotto and digging in the mud with her hands. She then drank the dirty spring water that appeared and washed her face in it. Why did Bernadette washed herself and drank in the muddy spring water? Although she acted strangely that day, this was an act of penitence and purification of the soul - an invitation to reconcile with God through the renewal of baptism.

In Lourdes, Our Lady called for real penance and sincere conversion. She invited us to reflect on our sins and how they have affected our lives. Similarly, in the Bible, John the Baptist called for repentance on the banks of the Jordan River (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus reminds us to reform our lives as the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15). The third message of Lourdes is therefore a motherly call to repentance and conversion. According to Antonio Bernardo in Lourdes & Bernadette, repentance-conversion is an act of humility as one has to go against one's pride in order to admit that he/she is a sinner. It is an act of moral courage as one must have the strength to change and not to continue in his/her sinful ways. It is also an act of perseverance as one has to continue living a reformed life because "whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God (Luke 9:62). Let us acknowledge our sins before God and make a good confession today. There will be peace and serenity of conscience after confession and absolution. May we find comfort and salvation in the Sacrament of Confession.


THE FOURTH MESSAGE OF LOURDES: THE GLORIFICATION OF SUFFERING

The Sick in Lourdes

"I cannot promise you happiness in this life but in the next," these were the words that Our Lady said to Bernadette during the third apparition. What is the message behind these words? As what Jesus said to his disciples, "If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and begin to follow in my footsteps" (Matthew 16:24). In a way, these words remind us of Bernadette's Calvary and can be interpreted to mean that true happiness arises from within and cannot be found externally. Honesty, kindness, generosity, responsibility - the good values that we possess will bring us true happiness if we center God in these values.

Many pilgrims visit Lourdes every year in the quest for miracles and hope that they would be miraculously healed. Those who do not understand the message of Lourdes would return home in great disappointment and misery if they could not find the magical cure that they are looking for. Perhaps their pilgrimage to Lourdes would be more meaningful if they are looking for a spiritual healing instead of a physical one. Although healing is important, knowing how to bear suffering is even more important. Instead of getting rid of their cross, they should understand more about it and carry it. The passion of Bernadette is a reminder that true happiness is not to be relieved of one's suffering but to understand what it means and bear it. As what Bernadette said, "I am happier in my bed of pain than any queen on her throne. Suffering in silence for Christ is joy. To love sincerely is to offer up everything." So here I would like to add another message of Lourdes - the glorification of suffering.


You may also like to read THE SEVENTEENTH APPARITION: THE MIRACLE OF THE CANDLE, The Value of Suffering and The Passion of Bernadette To view the content page of this blog, please click here.



References:
1.  Lourdes: Apparition, Message, Pilgrimage. MSM.
2.  Bernadette Recounts Her Appartions by Antonio Bernardo. Doucet Publication - Lourdes.
3.  Lourdes History. Editions A. Doucet - Lourdes.
4.  Discover Lourdes. MSM.
5.  Lourdes & Bernadette by Antonio Bernardo. Publisher "il Calamo".
6.  Lourdes: In Bernadette's Footsteps by Father Joseph Bordes. MSM
7.  Lourdes. A. Doucet Publications - Lourdes.
8.  The New American Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers.