Nine Spiritual Nuggets From Our Lady of Lourdes. (Part Two)

4. Childlikeness: The Path to Sainthood 

Mary's apparition to the 14 year old Bernadette,  continued a pattern. She frequently appeared to young children. At Pontmain, she appeared to a 12 year old boy and at Fatima the three children were 10, 9 and 7 when the Blessed Mother appeared to them. Mary's apparition to these children is a continuation of the Scriptural message: Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven or like Christ proclaimed: I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. (Matt. 11:25). Becoming like little children or being childlike carries with it the logic or better still the quality and attitude of the Divine. 

When Bernadette revealed she had seen the Blessed Virgin Mary, the attitude of the adults in the story proves the point as to why we must become like children. For many skepticism, incredulity and repeated attempts at shutting her down became rife. It is not the case of the healthy skepticism which is what is referred to as “benefit of the doubt.” We find in Bernadette, innocence, simplicity, humility, fragility, vulnerability and courage which we are called to cultivate. It is what the Psalmist proclaims: On the lips of children and of babes, you have found praise to foil your enemy (Psalm 8:2). Mary's apparition to Bernadette in Lourdes is a celebration and an acclamation of childlikeness. At Lourdes, we find a formal invitation to childlikeness and the appreciation of beauty and attentiveness. Like young Bernadette we are invited to look and look and see and to hear and understand. In the details of our lives we are called to be attentive. 

The sophistication of adulthood often prevents us from noticing the presence of the Divine and of the Blessed Mother. Some believe religious inclinations are for the fainthearted and for children or weak-minded persons. The little ones recognized Mary when she appeared to them. 

At Lourdes, when Bernadette encountered the Blessed Virgin Mother, she had her rosary beads with her. Bernadette had gone to fetch wood with her sister and friend. It is significant that Bernadette had her rosary with her. This is a sign of great training in the faith. It is a call for us not to give up on our teenage children, especially those in high school. We must plant, water and fertilize the seed of the faith. One question that bothers me often is how many of our children today if asked what they want to be would say they want to be saints? How many know the story of Lourdes and Bernadette. The celebration of Our Lady of Lourdes is an opportunity to teach our children that they too can be saints. Guess what? We too need to know the story in order to teach them. Sainthood is not meant for adults only.

5. Who are you?: I am the Immaculate Conception 

At Lourdes, the Blessed Virgin Mary introduced herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception. This was in 1858. Four years earlier, the Church had declared this doctrine as a dogma of the Church. This does not mean it was a new doctrine or that it is one of those Church imposed doctrines. The truth of Mary's immaculate conception had always been professed from the early Church. It was not an invention of the Church. Every year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. With her introduction under this title at Lourdes, Mary seems to be confirming the Church's proclamation. 

The Immaculate Conception is one of those Catholic doctrines that many do not understand or have problems with. It states simply that Mary from her conception was by a special grace preserved from the stain of original sin. This is how the dogma is defined:  The Most Holy Virgin Mary was, in the very first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stains of original sin. (Ineffabilis Deus, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius IX on the Immaculate Conception).

Recently, we invited a Protestant friend to join us pray the rosary. He protested saying, Mary is a sinner like all of us. This inflamed the Catholic folks and we tried to explain to him that Mary is not a sinner because she was preserved from original sin. True to form, he came back with the question: where is this teaching in the Bible? All attempts at explaining to him the meaning of Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel, proved futile. According to this passage Jesus and Mary were radically opposed to the devil and completely enemies. This complete enmity means the Blessed Mother  could not have been subjected to the stain of original sin. The point is even driven home further by the angel's greeting to Mary at the annunciation. “Hail full of grace” (Lk. 1:28). Mary, the Mother of God is full of grace from the moment of her conception, when Angel Gabriel addressed Mary as full of grace he was affirming her Immaculate Conception. 

From affirming that Mary is the Mother of God, we now affirm she is Immaculate Conception. And from her Immaculate Conception, we affirm her as Mother of Mercy and hence, refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted. 

At Guadalupe, at Lourdes and at Fatima, we find Mary as the Immaculate Conception. It is at Fatima that the call for conversion through the Immaculate Heart of Mary takes a formal expression. To the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the appeal Mother Mary makes at Lourdes. 

6. Penance, Penance, Penance

During the apparition at Lourdes, Bernadette revealed that the Blessed Virgin Mother called for prayers and repeatedly talked of penance, penance, penance. Just what is penance? What comes to mind is the prescription given by the priest after confession. For your penance, say one decade of the rosary, meditate on the Our Father. It would seem to refer them to some external action. But penance begins from the heart with the external action such as prayer, fasting, acts of charity to name these being a sign of internal conversion. The call to penance has been one of the most abiding calls to the Blessed Mother during her apparitions. It is a call for the conversion of sinners through acts of penance. It is an appeal to return to the Sacred Heart of Jesus “full of mercy and compassion.” in a world which has lost the sense of sin, the call to penance is a call to conversion which begins with a recognition of one's sins, a confession of these sins and forgiveness. Very often this core message of Lourdes is not given the prominence it deserves. Lourdes is about conversion and repentance. Mary's apparition is the sign of a loving mother's care and concern for her children. It is the invitation from a beloved mother inviting her children to return to the Divine. What is sin but a turning away from God? 

The catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way to penance “ This is the heart of the Jubilee Year - an encounter with the “ the merciful face of God” and an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ.” There are many opportunities daily for penance. Offering up our moments of inconveniences, little crosses of the day as penance is one small way of heeding to Our Lady's appeal at Lourdes. The little practice of examining the conscience every night before going to bed and praying the I Confess before going to bed is good penitential practice.