Our Lady of Lourdes
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which marks the first of 18 appearances of Mary to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14 year old peasant girl in Lourdes, France.
Why did Mary appear and what was her message?
People have forgotten God and turned away from him in sin. If a person continues to turn away from God until death, they turn away forever and this is hell.
Mary is the Mother of all people. What any mother wants most is for ALL her children to go to heaven. What any good mother fears most is that a child might be lost forever. At Lourdes and Fatima Mary begs us, those of her children who are listening to help those who are in danger of hell by prayer and sacrifice. We don’t like hearing about hell, but Mary is more concerned about her children, your brothers and sisters, than she is worried about hurting our feelings. The time of our indifference needs to be over – we need to answer the call of our Mother.
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Mary comes to earth on a Rescue Mission.
This is what she did at Lourdes, again at Fatima and every time she appears.
At Fatima – Mary showed the three children a vision of hell, immediately after she instructed them:
When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls into Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Then on August 19, 1917 Mary again appeared at Fatima saying:
“Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.”
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The first way Mary asks us to help rescue souls is by praying the Rosary every day.
In the sixth apparition at Lourdes, two tears fell from the eyes of Bernadette. Asked afterward what made her cry Bernadette said: “The Lady, walking away from me for a moment, directed her glance afar…Then looking down upon me again, she said, ‘Pray for sinners.”
Mary sees her children who are on the path of self-destruction. She begs us to pray the Rosary every day because our Rosaries can help open these people to the grace of conversion, save them from hell and help them into heaven.
Is 20 minutes every day asking too much? What is the price of a soul?
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The Second Way we rescue souls is by our sacrifices
Jesus said to St. Faustyna: “My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone.” Diary 1767
What sacrifices and suffering should we offer? Make of everything a sacrifice and offer it to God…What you
· Did not choose
· Do not like
· Cannot change
· Accept with Trust
· Offer to Jesus to help others
· Mother Teresa: Accept what He gives and give what He takes with a big smile
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In the 9th appearance (on 25 February) Bernadette relates:
"(The Lady) told me that I should go and drink at the fountain and wash myself. Seeing no fountain, I went to drink at the river. She said it was not there; she pointed with her finger that I was to go in under the rock. I went, and I found a puddle of water which was more like mud, and the quantity was so small that I could hardly gather a little in the hollow of my hand. Nevertheless, I obeyed, and started scratching the ground; after doing that I was able to take some. The water was so dirty that three times I threw it away. The fourth time I was able to drink it. The spring reportedly began to flow a day later.”
From that spring brought forth by Our Lady now flows a river of healing waters that are caught in a number of baths. More than 7000 people have reported miraculous physical healings from bathing in the waters at Lourdes in conjunction with the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Anointing. And 69 documented miracles of healing which been scientifically and medically certified.