SAINT OF THE DAY -- April 16 - Saint Bernadette Soubirous
April 16
St. Bernadette Soubirous(1844 - 1879)
Saint Bernadette Soubirous is the patron saint of Lourdes, France.
The sleeping saint
of Nevers
The most spectacular of the Incorruptible* Saints!
Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely
poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was
living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February
11,1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above
the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was
known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made
her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma
from an early age.
There
were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette's initial reports
provoked skepticism, her daily visions of "the Lady" brought great
crowds of the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed
her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There the people
were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had
welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to
dig.
According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl
of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses
covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on
March 25 she told Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception." It was
only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to
realize who the Lady was.
Few visions have ever undergone the
scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject
to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world,
attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine
and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation Church
authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.
During
her life Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as
well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent
of nuns. Five years later she petitioned to enter the sisters of Notre
Dame. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from
Lourdes and enter the novitiate. But within four months of her arrival
she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her
vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan,
but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at
the age of 35.
She was canonized in 1933.
Comment:
Millions
of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of
body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there.
Bernadette stumbled through life guided only by blind faith in things
she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.
Prayer:
Gracious God, the incorruptible
body of Saint Bernadette, though she died in 1879, remains
undeteriorated, a testament to her holiness and Your desire to protect
our bodies from destruction. Because of her compassion, which she
learned from life-long sicknesses and mistreatments, I ask her to
intercede for all the people I know who have illnesses and diseases, all
those who have asked me to pray for them as they hope for healing, and
my own need to be healthy. Lord God, help us to grow in holiness so that
our souls are purified and our bodies may testify to Your loving
goodness. Saint Bernadette, pray for us. Amen.
Mary, you showed yourself to
Bernadette
in the crevice of the rock.
In the cold and grey of winter,
you brought the warmth, light and beauty
of your presence,
In the often obscure depths of our lives,
in the depth of the world where evil is so powerful,
bring hope,
return our confidence!
You are the Immaculate Conception,
come to our aid, sinners that we are.
Give us the humility to have a change of heart,
the courage to do penance.
Teach us to pray for all people.
Guide us to the source of true life.
Make us pilgrims going forward with your Church,
whet our appetite for the Eucharist,
the bread for the journey, the bread of life.
The Spirit brought about wonders in you, O Mary :
by his power, he has placed you near the Father,
in the glory of your eternal Son.
Look with kindness
on our miserable bodies and hearts.
Shine forth for us, like a gentle light,
at the hour of our death.
Together with Bernadette, we pray to you, O Mary,
as your poor children.
May we enter, like her, into the spirit of the Beatitudes.
Then, we will be able, here below,
begin to know the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven
and sing together with you :
Magnificat !
Glory to you, Virgin Mary,
blessed servant of the Lord,
Mother of God,
dwelling place of the Holy Spirit!
Amen.
(Incorruptible) Photos:
The first picture is of Bernadette (in death) in April 1879. The second was taken recently.
Source: American Catholic Organization
Many great miracles have been associated with
the Rosary throughout history. The tremendous power of the Rosary can
overcome any problem, be it small or large, personal or worldwide.
Miracles continue to the present day.
The Rosary is a powerful prayer!
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?