Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
The Apparition of The Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes.
Feast Day 11 February.
Greater-Double.
White Vestments.
English: Basilica of The Immaculate Conception,
Lourdes, France.
Deutsch: Frankreich: Lourdes,
Basilika der unbefleckten Empfängnis,
Rosenkranzbasilika und Krypta in Lourdes.
Photo: 2005.
Source: Own work.
Author: Milorad Pavlek.
(Wikimedia Commons)
From 11 February 1858 to 16 July 1858, The Blessed Virgin Mary came down from Heaven eighteen times (Introit), and showed herself to Saint Bernadette Soubirous (Collect), in the cave of the rock at Massabielle (Gradual).
On 25 March 1858, she said to the little shepherdess of fourteen years of age: "I am The Immaculate Conception". Today's Feast, therefore, recalls Mary's triumph over the serpent (Tract), which The Septuagesimal Liturgy has in mind.
Stained-Glass Window, Bonneval Church, France,
showing the Vision of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.
Photo: 17 July 2009.
Source: Own work,
adapted from Bonneval Eglise Notre-Dame vitrail 3.JPG.
Author: Xandar
(Wikimedia Commons)
Like the woman seen by Saint John, "clothed in the Sun, with the Moon under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars over her head" (Epistle), The Virgin of Lourdes "is clothed in a Robe and Veil, as White as Snow, she wears a Blue Girdle and on her bare feet rests a Golden Rose," all symbolic of her Virginal Love.
She exhorts to Penance the unfortunate Children of Eve, who have not been, like herself, preserved from sin. On The Day of The Annunciation, she declared her name to us, to manifest that it is on account of The Incarnation (Collect) that God has vouchsafed to her "not to be tainted with The Original Stain" (Tract).
Remembering that Mary is "The Ark of The New Covenant" (Epistle), let us go with confidence to her, who, "Full of Grace" (Offertory), "visits our Earth to multiply in us the gifts of her riches" (Communion).
Mass: Vidi civitátem.
Commemoration and Last Gospel of The Feria. In Lent.
Preface: Of The Blessed Virgin Mary: Et te in Conceptione Immaculáta.
It is very interesting that the Blessed Virgin spoke plainly and familiarly to S. Bernadette in her native dialect, Occitan, kind of a version almost intermediate between French and Iberian Spanish, and that she reveals her title (“..I am the Immaculate Conception..”) in a very similar way as to how she reveals another title (as “Blessed Mother”) to Juan Diego in his native Nahuatl dialect at Tepeyac outside Mexico City in December, 1531 (“…Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”).
ReplyDeleteIn both circumstances, she is (1) clearly “other worldly” to the receivers of the apparitions, yet speaks familiarly and intimately to them in their local unique dialect; and (2) she wants them to know her loving concern; and (3) she reveals a title she wants them to call her.
To S. Bernadette, she tells of her title, Bernadette who had no understanding of the meaning of the “Immaculate Conception;” and to Juan Diego, it must have seemed very perplexing as a 40-year-old-or -so man (Catholic historians on Guadalupe seem to think he was at least that old—or older) that a young woman was calling herself his “mother.”
..Which just goes to show these apparitions are most evidently true, because the wise theologians we have “would have planned better” the Blessed Virgin’s message and her public relations press release. -Comment by Dante P
An outanding summation, Dante P, of Our Blessed Lady's appearances and revelations. All these can, of course, reinforce our love and devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Any person maintaining doubts about The Catholic Faith need look no further for re-assurance to reinforce their Faith.
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