11/2: Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes…
Our Lady of Lourdes, health of the sick, please pray for our friends and relatives who are suffering at this time; we remember especially Catholic Truth readers – Sean who is terminally ill, with only a short time to live according to doctors, Christina, Kay, Patricia, and all who have asked us to remember them in prayer. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for them.
Comment:
Feel free to add your own petitions for prayer on this thread, and, as with all Feast Day threads, post your favourite hymns, prayers, experiences, funny stories etc.
Comments (26)
Dear Editor,
I’m a newbie to your excellent blog, and enjoy visiting every day. Thank you!
May I ask my dear Confirmation Saint, Bernadette, for her intercession on behalf of my daughter’s intentions re a very sticky problem at her parish? And for all those who are ill and need succour.
May God have mercy on us all. And may Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Welcome, Nanna9 – and of course you may slip in a prayer to St Bernadette! I doubt very much that Our Lady will mind!
Happy Feast everyone!
Happy feast day to all.
I recall Saint Bernadette’s reply when asked by a French Soldiers if she feared the Prussian Army, which was bearing down upon her Convent at Nevers, Saint Bernadette said in reply: “No. I only fear bad Catholics.” and when asked if she did not fear anything else she replied simply: “No. Nothing.”
http://catholicismhastheanswer.com/what-is-the-cause-of-all-the-evils-in-the-world/
How prophetic for our times.
Chloe,
I think it was Pope Pius V who also said that – the cause of all the evils in the world were down to the lukewarm Catholics. Nothing much has changed, then!
Happy Feast everyone. I heard there was another miracle at Lourdes today but can’t find it online. That would be wonderful!
Margaret Mary,
I Googled to see if anything was reported about a new miracle, but cannot find anything.
I did think this article was very interesting, dating from 2014 – a doctor on the panel of medical staff who study the claims of cures. It makes really interesting reading and impressed me that they are seriously looking to find a natural or medical explanation and he says they never use the word miracle, just say that it cannot be explained, this or that cure, by medicine.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26334964
A very happy feast day to all!
Lily,
That IS very interesting and confirms the strict procedure in place at Lourdes to study claims of healing. Thank you for posting that very useful report.
Margaret Mary,
I found a report today of a new miracle – it’s the 70th. Until today, there were only 69 verified miracles. This is fantastic news for today’s feast.
http://www.catholicanada.com/2018/02/11/new-miracle-recognized-in-lourdes-it-is-the-70th/
A very happy feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes to all Catholic Truth bloggers!
Nicky,
Many thanks for posting that report of this latest miracle – which actually occurred in 2008 but was not verified until now. I found this quote from the Sister who was cured, very interesting:
““In February 2008 my doctor invited me to the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes scheduled for July 3-7, 2008… I had never been there since I became ill… In the cave I felt the mysterious presence of Mary and of little Bernadette…. In no case have I ever asked for healing. I had asked for the conversion of my heart and the strength to continue my path as a sick person”.
THAT is the spirit of Lourdes – not seeking a cure but conversion of heart…
I remember Jean, a cousin of mine (RIP) who was disabled telling me that herself, when I asked her if, after having gone on pilgrimage to Lourdes for many years, year after year, she was not disappointed at not receiving a cure. She looked genuinely surprised and said that she didn’t go looking for a cure. That, in fact, she recognised in her disability that she offered the opportunity to other people to practise charity, that she didn’t want to be “cured”. Her pilgrimages were of a spiritual nature.
All very heartening – the rest of us (well, me, at least) carp and complain about essentially secondary (if that) matters, while people like my deceased cousin Jean (and the Sister whose cure is reported in your link) accept their lot in a spirit of true faith. Our Lady must be very touched by such holy resignation to God’s will. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
MM,
Here it is – it’s not that a miracle occurred today, but a new miracle was announced today. Until today, there were 69 verified miracles at Lourdes. Today, the number has risen to 70.
http://www.lastampa.it/2018/02/11/vaticaninsider/eng/world-news/new-miracle-recognized-in-lourdes-it-is-the-th-KGAIPPWJ0SWKPWRg7LdqpM/pagina.html
This is a beautiful feast and one of my favourites. I LOVE the story of St Bernadette and Our Lady’s magnificent humility in asking the little girl if she would be “so kind as to come here for the next two weeks”! That is just so amazing and a lesson to us all in true humility. The Queen of Heaven and Earth asking the child to come, as if she would be doing Our Lady a favour! Seeing the video again brought the story back to me and those gorgeous quotes at the end make a lovely meditation.
Happy Feast of Lourdes to all!
Fidelis,
That’s my favourite bit of the whole story of the Lourdes appearances – Our Lady saying that to St Bernadette about doing her a favour by coming here every day for two weeks. It’s mind-boggling.
My favourite miracle is the story of Jack Traynor which was the first one I ever heard and have never forgotten, it is so astonishing. It was in the local papers at the time, with photos of him leaving for Lourdes on a stretcher and walking off the train when he got home!
http://www.faithandfamily.org.uk/publications/jack_traynor.htm
Laura,
The story of Jack Traynor is astonishing, and thoroughly documented. I would urge readers to visit Laura’s link and read the entire story right through -it is indisputable evidence of the power of Our Lady and the fact that healing miracles have, in fact, taken place at Lourdes.
Jack’s story is rivetting right to the very end. Don’t miss it.
Fidelis & Laura,
That is my all-time favourite part of the entire Lourdes story, as well – the idea of Our Lady asking a young girl to “be so kind as” to visit her every day for a fortnight – incredible. Such delicate humility. Beautiful.
A Happy Feast Day to all the bloggers! I came across this site recently, thought you might enjoy it: http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/bd_lourdes_apparitions.htm
RCA Victor,
That’s a beautiful website. Having been to Lourdes twice, I found it very interesting. Lovely photos. Thank you for posting that link.
I have a special devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, it really is the most wonderful story. I also love the hymn “Immaculate Mary”.
Don Bosco,
Catholic Truth, at your service!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvMHBg262hg&w=1131&h=636%5D
Editor (and Petrus?),
A musical note: the refrain of this version starts with the pick-up (note before the bar line, for those not familiar with music), i.e. “A – [bar line] ve, A-ve, A-ve Ma-ri-a, etc.”
However, the refrain in the St. Basil Hymnal version starts on the downbeat, instead of on the beat before the bar line: [bar line] “A-ve, A-ve, etc.”
We do a Perpetual Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes every Tuesday after the noon Mass, and sing the version with the traditional refrain afterwards – the way it is sung in this video. The first time I played the organ for this, however, I played the St. Basil version, i.e. with the wrong rhythm, and insisted that the traditional rhythm was wrong. I was then informed that the traditional version is the one actually sung at Lourdes, so I sat corrected.
As they say in the ‘hood: “What’s up with that?”
I’ve noticed that the “new” version is the one usually found in recordings, for some strange reason. In our hymnals, it’s usually the traditional version, which I far prefer.
Happy Feast Day to you all!
And also to YOU!
Editor,
LOL, were you secretly a member of ICEL back in the 60s?
RCA Victor,
They wouldn’t let me into the meetings. I did try!
A Blessed Feast to you all! St. Bernadette & Our Lady of Lourdes, ora pro nobis.
Damsel of the Faith,
A belated Feast to you, as well!
God bless!
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