IMPORTANT FACTS:
When the Virgin Mary appeared to her,she knew well on how to greet her.Though she did not know her but because she was shocked and confused with what she saw so she decided to recite the Rosary to ask Mary for help without knowing that Mary was already there in front of her.Her innocent and faithful recitations of the rosary brought Mary to her because Mary was pleased with her prayer offering.Bernadette showed constant and loving trust in Mary that she turned to her no matter what the situation was.
When the she had to visit Mary at the Grotto,her father gave her strict warning not go there because he did not want to get people's attention on his little daughter.He was afraid because she was his precious child and he did not know who that 'Lady' was and what she wanted from his child.Bernadette on the other hand was brave and wanted to know more from the 'Lady'.So she prayed the rosary to Mary asking her to change her father's mind.On Sunday,she asked her father's for permission once again to return.This time he had a different answer for her.He said: "A lady with a Rosary can't be evil".and he gave her the green light to return.She was overjoyed!
So she brought a few of her friends and they hurried to the place.She knelt down quickly and began to call upon the Lady with her rosary and the Lady appeared to her and smiled beautifully at her.She then decided to sprinkle some Holy Water around the Lady and said: "If you come from God,stay.If you don't,go away'.
The more she sprinkled,the more the Lady smiled.Bernadette then knew she was from Heaven and knelt quickly to pray and gaze upon her beauty.
The next day,the Lady told Bernadette to come for 15 days and visit her."Aoue era gracia" were her exact words, and Bernadette was astonished that Lady spoke in the same dialect as her and in a manner so gracious.Bernadette told her, "I will ask my parents' permission and I will come." The Lady
then responded," I do not promise to make you happy in this life,but in the next." Then
she said, "Go and tell the Priests that a chapel must be built here".She then vanished.
When she told this to the her parish priest,he told Bernadette to ask the Lady for her name then they
will all know who is this 'Lady' which has been the talk of Lourdes.So she obeyed and went to see
the Lady.When the Lady appeared,she said, "Would you be so kind as to tell me who you are?".
She asked the Lady, 4 times the same question.Then the Lady gracefully extended her hands towards
the ground,swept them upwards to join them on her heart,gently raised her eyes,but not her head to Heaven,leaned closely and tenderly towards Bernadette and said,"Que soy era Immaculada
Conceptiou " which meant 'I am the Immaculate Conception'.The Lady then smiled at her and vanished.Bernadette was alone and did not understand the meaning but repeated the words of the
Lady as many times as she could as she made her way to Father Peyramale.
The priest was waiting for Bernadette and when she told him the Lady's name;he stood there stunned.
He was so surprised that he stammered saying,"Do you know what that mean?" and little Bernadette
shook a head and said "No".The priest was deathly pale but he pulled himself together and said,
"Go home now,child.I will see you another day".
And so news about the Lady's name started to spread like wild fire and people believed.Some were
jealous,reporters were eager to know,others called Bernadette a liar and there were some who was
happy to share the joy with Bernadette.As we can see,from that day,Bernadette spend most of her life
with the Virgin Mary when she was on earth.She was always quietly praying and seeking strength
through the recitation of the rosary.
Her life was a total messed up situation but she never gave up on her Rosary.While people asked her questions,she was saying the rosary at that very moment.Whenever there was a problem,a deep sorrow,a sharp pain or loneliness in Bernadette's life,she turned to Virgin Mary knowing that the Blessed Virgin will protect her and Bernadette trusted in Mary words,
" I do not promise to make you happy in this life,
but in the next."
With this words, she continued her life with Heavenly joy and looking forward to her next life; she prayed daily her rosary to feed her soul.Bernadette was very close with the Virgin Mary and though there were times when there was a lot of silence between her and the Virgin Mary, she trusted the Heavenly silence and persevered in it.Finally when Bernadette was called home by the Virgin Mary to enter Heaven,her last was :
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a poor sinner "....
This was what that made Bernadette become a great Saint because she humbly loved the Virgin Mary
and never allowed pride to stick with her.Therefore she had the Blessed Virgin constantly to guide
her to Jesus until her very last breathe which brought her to the arms of Jesus.December 8th 1933,
Pope Pius XI declared Bernadette Soubirous a Saint of the Catholic Church.Her feast day was fixed
for February 18th, the day Our Lady promise to make her happy, not in this life, but in the next.
The faithful however give her 2 more feast days,APRIL 16th, the day of her death,and
FEBRUARY 11th the day her Lady stepped from Heaven into her heart.Today Bernadette is
known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes or Saint Bernadette Soubirous. May we follow her example
to achieve true holiness!
Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes from "Who Cares About The Saints?"
with Fr. James Martin, S.J.
Quotes of Saint Bernadette Soubirous:
- And you saints of Heaven who have passed through this trial, have pity on those who are suffering it now and pray that I be given the grace to be faithful until death.
- Dear gentle Jesus, be not my judge, but my Savior.
- I’m happier with my crucifix on my bed of pain than a queen on her throne.
- I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining.I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than his heart.Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do his will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below,Love without suffering does not exist.
- O my Mother, to you I sacrifice all other attachments so that my heart may belong entirely to you and to my Jesus.
- I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home. There I shall find my Mother in all the splendour of her glory. I shall delight with her in the joy of Jesus himself in perfect safety.
- My crown in Heaven should shine with innocence and its flowers should be radiant as the sun. Sacrifices are the flowers Jesus and Mary chose.
- Love overcomes,love delights,those who love the Sacred Heart rejoice.Jesus, my God, I love you above all things.
- Let us pray for each other that Our Lord may give us the grace that we need to become SAINTS.
PRAYER TO SAINT BERNADETTE:
O Holy Bernadette, unwavering child of the Blessed Virgin Mary, guide us to Mary and ask her to
gently lead our souls to Jesus, Our Saviour. May we be constant in reciting the Rosary even through
sorrow and uncertainty of life. Saint Bernadette, put trust in our hearts to cling on to Mary and know
that she will never leave us for she is a faithful Mother. Guide us through this life of jealously and hatred which has contaminated the world with its darkness.Light candles at the throne of Jesus and guide us
with that Heavenly light to the Kingdom of Heaven. May our prayers, joined with your powerful
prayers be raised to Mary who will then place it in the hands of Jesus.Amen.
Saint Bernadette, the Messenger and Rosary of Mary, pray for us!
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