I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
PROLOGUE
Today, February 11, we celebrate another Marian Feast Day, Our Lady of Lourdes. In 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. 14 years old, in Lourdes, France. Bernadette was doing her family chore of collecting fire wood near a cave.
Near the opening of the grotto, Bernadette glanced and noticed the cave was suddenly filled with golden light. Lifting up her eyes, she saw a lady of great beauty, dressed in a pure white robe with a blue sash, a veil over her head, a rosary clasped in her hands and yellow roses at her feet. Bernadette rubbed her eyes. What a beautiful lady! But where did she come from? And what was she doing here? The Lady looked at Bernadette and immediately smiled and signaled her to advance, in a way that a mother motions her child to come near.
Bernadette took out her rosary and knelt before the Lady, who also had a rosary on her right arm. As Bernadette prayed the rosary, the Lady passed the beads of her rosary between her fingers. When the recitation of the rosary was finished, the Lady returned to the interior of the rock and the golden cloud disappeared with her.
BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS
Our Blessed Mother appeared eighteen times to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Her messages to Bernadette are ageless and apply to all of us today…. A call to conversion, praying for sinners, acts of reparations for our sins and the sins of others. Penance, Penance, Penance, pray, pray, pray for sinners
The third time Bernadette went to the grotto, the lady spoke to her. The beautiful lady asked Bernadette to come here every day for fifteen days. The Lady instructed Bernadette to scrape the mud of the Grotto until a stream appeared. She said that she wanted Bernadette to tell the priests to build a chapel here.
Bernadette’s parish priest asked her to ask the Lady’s name. On March 25, 1858, the day of the sixteenth Apparition, Bernadette went to the Grotto, and asked the Lady for her name. Three times Bernadette asked the question. On the fourth request, the Lady responds, “I Am the Immaculate Conception.”
Pretty amazing that only four years after Pius IX (1854) declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary a dogma of the Church, Mary herself confirmed the dogma to Bernadette at Lourdes. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin.
From the first instant of her existence Mary was in the state of sanctifying grace and free from the corrupt nature original sin brings. Mary was redeemed by the grace of Christ, but in a special way—by anticipation. Mary received grace merited by her Son’s death and resurrection applied to her before she was able to become mired in original sin and its stain.
Mary is our model of faith and commitment. The Blessed Virgin Mary is also our greatest intercessor with God. At Cana, the Queen Mother asked her Son, Jesus, the King of Kings, to perform His first public miracle. Who can say no to their Mother? Go to Mary, ask her to intercede with her Son, but be patient, God is in a different time zone (eternity)
EPILOGUE
Bernadette, at the age of 22, entered the convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers, France, serving our Lord with dignity, grace, and love, praying for the conversion of sinners and to the service of God. She passed away from tuberculosis on April 16, 1879 at 34 years of age and was canonized as a saint in 1933.
Bernadette was buried on the convent grounds. Her body was exhumed thirty years later on September 22, 1909, in the presence of two doctors, several appointed officials, and nuns from the local convent. When Bernadette’s coffin was opened, there was no odor, and her body was completely untouched by the laws of nature.
To this day her body remains incorruptible (that is to say, it shows no signs of decomposition or decay), another sign of the miracles associated with her. The sacred relic (Bernadette’s body) was placed in a coffin of gold and glass and can be viewed to this very day in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the motherhouse in Nevers, France.
Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and healing, but even more of faith. Church authorities have recognized over 60 miraculous cures, although there have probably been many more. To people of faith this is a continuation of Jesus’ healing miracles—now performed at the intercession of his mother. Lourdes water is brought home by pilgrims and shared with thousands in need. Would you believe this spring still provides 27,000 gallons of water every day!
Many of the sick and afflicted who go to Lourdes and are not healed but leave there stronger spiritually. They know that their various ailments still have a redemptive character, much like our Lord’s did at Calvary in His Passion and, as long as they do not lose faith in Him, their sufferings will not be in vain!
MARIAN PRAYER
MEMORARE
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.