FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

COMMEMORATION OF THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES
FEAST DAY – 11th FEBRUARY

February 11th marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to fourteen-year-old Marie Bernade (St. Bernadette) Soubirous. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin appeared eighteen times, and showed herself to St. Bernadette in the hollow of the rock at Lourdes.

On March 25 she said to the little shepherdess who was only fourteen years of age: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Since then Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and many cures and conversions have taken place. The message of Lourdes is a call to personal conversion, prayer, and charity.

The many miracles which have been performed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes prompted the Church to institute a special commemorative feast, the “Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.”

The Office gives the historical background. Four years after the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854), the Blessed Virgin appeared a number of times to Bernadette, who was a poor and holy girl. The actual spot was in a grotto on the bank of the Gave River near Lourdes.

The Immaculate Conception had a youthful appearance and was clothed in a pure white gown and mantle, with an azure blue girdle. A golden rose adorned each of her bare feet.

On her first apparition, February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin bade the girl make the sign of the Cross piously and say the rosary with her. Bernadette saw her take the rosary that was hanging from her arms into her hands. This was repeated in subsequent apparitions.

With childlike simplicity Bernadette once sprinkled holy water on the vision, fearing that it was a deception of the evil spirit; but the Blessed Virgin smiled pleasantly, and her face became even more lovely.

The third time Mary appeared she invited the girl to come to the grotto daily for two weeks. Now she frequently spoke to Bernadette. On one occasion she ordered her to tell the ecclesiastical authorities to build a church on the spot and to organize processions. Bernadette also was told to drink and wash at the spring still hidden under the sand.

Finally on the feast of the Annunciation, the beautiful Lady announced her name, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Today, on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we honour the Blessed Mother’s appearance to St. Bernadette in 1858, a powerful reminder of her Love and intercession for us. Let us turn to Mary, Our Mother and Advocate, Seeking her Guidance and Comfort in times of need.

The report of cures occurring at the grotto spread quickly and the more it spread, the greater the number of Christians who visited the hallowed place.

The publicity given these miraculous events on the one hand and the seeming sincerity and innocence of the girl on the other made it necessary for the bishop of Tarbes to institute a judicial inquiry.

Four years later he declared the apparitions to be supernatural and permitted the public veneration of the Immaculate Conception in the grotto.

Soon a chapel was erected, and since that time countless pilgrims come every year to Lourdes to fulfill promises or to beg graces.
—Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

February 11 was proclaimed World Day of the Sick by Pope John Paul II. Therefore, it would be appropriate to celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on this day during a Mass or Liturgy of the Word.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is only to be given to “those of the faithful whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age,” Roman Ritual. This Sacrament must not be given indiscriminately to all who take part in Masses for the sick.

Anyone who has made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Lourdes will not have missed the opportunity to pray at the Grotto where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the 11th of February 1858.

A mystical place, similar to the welcoming “bosom” of a mother, almost a baptismal font, in which to immerse ourselves and rediscover the unrivalled beauty of being Christians: having God as our Father and Mary as our Mother!

Lourdes is one of the most important “places of grace” known to the Church. It is like a vast basin of purity where countless souls have removed the clothes of sin and put on the snow white garments of spiritual rebirth! Some found the light necessary to embrace the call to the priesthood, others, the strength to remain faithful to this commitment.

How can we deny that the Mother is the one who knows the Will of the Son better than anyone else and that turning to her we understand better the mysterious plan God has for each one of us? No one better than Mary can convince us to “do whatever he tells you”!

In Lourdes, like the servants at Cana, we too sincerely open our hearts to the presence of the Mother and, attentive to her words, we are captivated by the mystery of the Son. Then we see His Will for what it truly is: our path to happiness!

Bernardette actually saw the Lady dressed in white, whereas we see her not with our eyes but with our heart, which is aware in faith of her presence on our journey. In front of the Grotto of Massabielle the pilgrim’s interior vision is illuminated with a light typical of that place of grace: the light of the spiritual motherhood of Mary who gives Jesus to us as at Christmas, again and again.

Those apparitions have sustained countless souls, encouraging them on the path of conversion and personal sanctification. And their change has helped improve the world because the whole world benefits from the conversion of even one heart.

For us, pilgrims to Lourdes, Mary’s universal motherhood is a mystery to discover again and again, so she may accompany us all through life. In Lourdes this Marian light is present everywhere: when we bathe in the waters, in the evening when we mingle with thousands of others to pray the rosary at the torchlight procession; in the afternoon when we join crowds of sick persons taking part in the Blessed Sacrament Procession.

Her presence is a mystery to savor in our soul and to learn, with Mary, to honour her Son, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The first to witness Our Lady’s presence at Lourdes was little Bernadette Soubirous, who became her intrepid messenger. Although she is buried far away in Nevers in the north of France, her body totally incorrupt, as if she were asleep, you can “meet” Saint Bernadette everywhere in Lourdes.

It is sweet to remember her and read the humble words she addressed to Our Lady: “Yes, gentle Mother, you lowered yourself, you came down to earth to appear to a helpless little girl… You, the Queen of Heaven and earth, deigned to make use of what was most humble for the world” (from her Journal dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, 1866).

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, recalling that “this year (2008) the beginning of Lent coincides providentially with the 150th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes”, said in his Angelus reflection on the 1st Sunday of Lent “the message which Our Lady still offers at Lourdes recalls the words Jesus said at the beginning of his public mission and that we hear so often in these first days of Lent: ‘Convert and believe in the Gospel, pray and do penance.

Let us respond to the call of Mary who echoes that of Christ and let us ask Her to help us ‘enter’ Lent with faith and live this season of grace with deep joy and generous commitment” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 10 February 2008). (Agenzia Fides 13/2/2008; righe 47, parole 662)
—Mgr. Luciano Alimandi

APPARITION, DEVOTION, AND FEAST

The World Mary Chose to Visit
In 1858, Lourdes, a modest town in southern France, was marked by hardship, illness, and neglect.

• Industrial growth had unsettled many families.
• Widespread sickness affected daily life.
• Intellectual circles were drifting from faith.
• Devotion to Mary was frequently mocked.

Into this vulnerable setting, Mary appeared — choosing not the influential, but a humble and poor child.

The Seer: Saint Bernadette Soubirous
Bernadette was:

• Fourteen years old
• Without formal education
• Afflicted with asthma
• Raised in deep poverty
• Known for her sincerity, gentleness, and simplicity

She never sought supernatural experiences.
She lacked theological knowledge.
She never exaggerated what she witnessed.

Her innocence and honesty became powerful signs supporting the credibility of the apparitions.

The Apparitions (February 11 – July 16, 1858)
Mary appeared eighteen times to Bernadette at the rocky grotto of Massabielle.

First Apparition – February 11, 1858
Bernadette beheld a radiant Lady dressed in white, adorned with:

• A blue sash
• A rosary hanging from her arm
• Bare feet marked with golden roses

Initially, the Lady spoke no words. She simply prayed the Rosary alongside Bernadette.

This quiet presence communicated truth before any message was spoken.

Central Messages of the Apparitions
Mary’s words were few yet deeply meaningful:

• “Pray the Rosary.”
• “Penance, penance, penance.”
• “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself.”
• “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

She offered no political warnings or fearful prophecies.
Instead, she invited people back to:

• Prayer
• Conversion
• Humility
• Trust in God’s grace

The Spring and the Miraculous Healings
Following Mary’s instruction, Bernadette dug into the muddy ground of the grotto.

• At first, observers ridiculed her.
• Soon after, water began to flow.

The spring continues to run today and has been linked to thousands of healing testimonies.

The Church, through the Lourdes Medical Bureau, has formally recognized over seventy healings as medically unexplainable after strict scientific examination.

Most importantly:

• Lourdes does not guarantee physical cures
• It offers faith, hope, and spiritual strength amid suffering

Many pilgrims return spiritually renewed even when physical illness remains.

“I Am the Immaculate Conception”
On March 25, 1858, Mary revealed her identity using words Bernadette herself could not comprehend:
“I am the Immaculate Conception.”

This affirmed the doctrine proclaimed only four years earlier in 1854 — something Bernadette could not have fabricated.

Mary’s words did not say, “I was conceived immaculate,” but “I am,” revealing that her entire being is filled with divine grace.

Church Recognition
After thorough and cautious examination, the apparitions were officially approved in 1862 by the local bishop.

Since then:

• Lourdes has become one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations worldwide
• More than six million pilgrims visit every year
• The sick hold a central place in the pilgrimage experience.

  

The Devotion of Lourdes
Key expressions include:

• The Grotto of Massabielle
• The healing spring water
• The Rosary
• Eucharistic processions
• Candlelight Marian processions
• Compassionate service to the sick

Lourdes stands out because:

• The sick are treated with honor
• Volunteers lovingly assist the ill
• Suffering is acknowledged rather than concealed
• Human dignity is deeply respected

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
Observed on February 11:

• Commemorates the first apparition
• Celebrated throughout the universal Church
• Proclaimed World Day of the Sick by St. John Paul II in 1992

This feast closely connects Lourdes with:

• Compassion
• Healthcare ministry
• The redemptive meaning of suffering
• Hope in times of illness

The Spiritual Message of Lourdes
Lourdes reminds believers that:

• God listens attentively to the poor and humble
• Prayer prepares the heart for miracles
• Conversion holds greater importance than physical healing
• Suffering gains purpose when united with Christ
• Mary always leads souls toward Jesus
• Grace flows through humility

Lourdes is not centered on spectacle —

• It reveals divine mercy reaching human weakness.

Relevance in Today’s World
In a society that:

• Dreads illness
• Glorifies physical perfection
• Conceals suffering
• Questions spiritual reality

Lourdes proclaims:

• The sick are never abandoned
• Prayer retains its power
• God works gently and quietly
• Hope triumphs over despair
• True healing begins within the heart

Mary’s invitation still resonates:
“Go and drink… wash…”
trust, surrender, and begin anew.

COLLECT PRAYER

Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection.

Grant us, O merciful God, protection in our weakness, that we, who keep the Memorial of the Immaculate Mother of God, may, with her intercession, rise up from our iniquities.

May our Lady of Lourdes with pious prayers of Saint Bernadette Marie Soubirous bring healings of any type of disease in our life today.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

PRAYER

Ever Immaculate Virgin Mother of Mercy, Health of the sick, refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; look with mercy on me.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Virgin Immaculate, you appeared 18 times to Bernadette at the grotto in Lourdes to remind Christians of what the truths in the Gospel require of them. You call them to prayer, penance, the Eucharist and the life of the church. Through your intercession may we be granted God’s blessings, in Jesus’ Name. Amen

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