The memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

The memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes recalls a series of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old French peasant girl. The apparitions began on 11 February 1858 when Bernadette went to gather firewood along the bank of the River Gave. Her attention was drawn to the noise of rustling bushes near the Grotto of Massabielle; she saw a beautiful young girl. She described this girl as ""dressed in a white robe, girded at the waist with a blue ribbon. She wore upon her head a white veil which gave just a glimpse of hair. Her feet were bare but covered by the last folds of her robe, and a yellow rose was upon each of them. She held on her right arm a rosary of white beads with a chain of gold shining like the two roses on her feet.""

Bernadette knelt and began to pray the rosary. At the end of the five decades, our Lady smiled and disappeared. The young visionary returned, and on 18 February, Our Lady told young Bernadette, ""I do not promise to make you happy in this life but in the next."" On 24 February, the Virgin Mary spoke to Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners, specifically, ""Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners. Go, kiss the ground for the conversion of sinners."" The following day, she instructed Bernadette to dig the ground near the grotto. From that, a spring came forth, which to this day is used for the bath by pilgrims to Lourdes. At the apparition of 2 March, Bernadette was instructed by Our Lady to ""tell the priests that people should come here in procession and that a chapel should be built on the site.""

Tradition recounts that when Bernadette took the request of the Lady to the parish priest, he asked for the name of the Lady. On the Feast of the Annunciation, 25 March, the Holy Mother answered Bernadette's request for a name as ""I am the Immaculate Conception."" This dogma had been defined by Pope Pius IX just a few years earlier, on 8 December 1854. Thus, the apparitions at Lourdes attain special significance as the 'heaven's approval' on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. The Basilica at Lourdes was consecrated in 1876, and the faithful, countless in number, flock in pious pilgrimage to the holy grotto.

The miraculous spring of Lourdes has also reportedly cured millions of sick pilgrims. Our Lady of Lourdes, in popular devotion, is described as the health of the sick, refuge of sinners, and comforter of the afflicted. 

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God; be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.