Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us

The Catholic Church celebrated the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes this past weekend. What a beautiful celebration of how loved we are by Mary, the Mother of God. Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 in Lourdes, France. Bernadette was an unlikely girl for Mary appear to upon first glance. She was poor, sickly, and a child living a very simple life with her family in a small French village. When you start to consider others Mary has appeared to (Juan Diego, the three visionaries in Fatima, and countless others) we start to see that it is not unlikely after all that Mary would appear to a little girl who had very little measured by the standards of the society she lived in. Mary always appears to the humble servants and those who are pure in heart. Who better a vessel than a child to receive the messages of our beautiful Mother?





Bernadette was unable to read or write or speak French, and Catechism was taught only in French. She went to Mass, but she was not allowed to receive Holy Communion with her friends. She was later prepared for communion by Fr. Pomian. Shortly after at the age of 14, she was blessed with eighteen divine apparitions, and the world is forever changed and will never forget Bernadette.


Here is a short summary of her appearances taken from Catholic Online:


"On Thursday, February 11, 1858, fourteen-year-old Bernadette was sent with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood, when a very beautiful lady appeared to her above a rose bush in a grotto called Massabielle (Tuta de Massavielha).

The woman wore blue and white and smiled at Bernadette before making the sign of the cross with a rosary of ivory and gold. Bernadette fell to her knees, took out her own rosary and began to pray. Bernadette later described the woman as "uo petito damizelo," meaning "a small young lady. Though her sister and friend claimed they were unable to see her, Bernadette knew what she saw was real.

Three days later, Bernadette, her sister Marie, and other girls returned to the grotto, where Bernadette immediately knelt, saying she could see "aquero" again. She fell into a trance and one girl threw holy water at the niche and another threw a rock that shattered on the ground. It was then that the apparition disappeared.

On February 18, Bernadette said "the vision" asked her to return to the grotto each day for a fortnight. With each visit, Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary and the period of daily visions became known as "la Quinzaine sacrée," meaning "holy fortnight."

When Bernadette began to visit the grotto, her parents were embarrassed and attempted to stop her, but were unable to do so. On February 25, Bernadette claimed to have had a life-changing vision.

The vision had told her "to drink the water of the spring, to wash in it and to eat the herb that grew there" as an act of penance. The next day, the grotto's muddy waters had been cleared, and fresh, clear water flowed.

On March 2, at the thirteenth of the apparitions, Bernadette told her family the lady sad "a chapel should be built and a procession formed.

During her sixteenth vision, which Bernadette claims to have experienced for over an hour, was on March 25. Bernadette claimed she had asked the woman her name, but her question was only met with a smile. Bernadette asked again, three more times, and finally, the woman said, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

Though many townspeople believed she had indeed been seeing the Holy Virgin, Bernadette's story created a division in her town. Many believed she was telling the truth, while others believed she had a mental illness and demanded she be put in a mental asylum. Some believed Bernadette's visions meant she needed to pray for penance.

Church authorities and the French government rigorously interviewed the girl, and by 1862 they confirmed she spoke truth. Since Bernadette first caused the spring to produce clean water, 69 cures have been verified by the Lourdes Medical Bureau, and after what the Church claimed were "extremely rigorous scientific and medical examinations," no one was able to explain what caused the cures.

The Lourdes Commission that initially examined Bernadette, ran an analysis on the water but were only able to determine it contained a high mineral content. Bernadette believed it was faith and prayer that was responsible for curing the sick.

Bernadette asked the local priest to build a chapel at the site of her visions and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. Many other chapels and churches has been built around it, including the Basilica of St. Pius X, which can accommodate 25,000 people and was dedicated by the future Pope John XXIII when he was the Papal Nuncio to France."


There are so many lessons we can take from St. Bernadette and the messages Mary bestowed upon her. She was devoted to Christ and Our Lady, and persisted following through with Mary's request to build a chapel on the site of the appearances. All of these things happened because Bernadette loved our Lady and followed her heart. The largest lesson I take away from St. Bernadette is how we should all remain childlike in the ways we worship and pray. We should approach the Eucharist with awe and wonder, much like Bernadette, who was finally granted that privilege after she starting sharing her visions with her confessor which had been previously denied an opportunity to be catechized because she was illiterate. We take for granted the easy access we have to receiving the sacraments. What wonderful example for us all to follow. We should be thankful and give praise that we live in a place and time where the sacramements are readily available to us if we desire them.

St. Bernadette's body lies incorrupt at The Chapel of Saint Gidard in Nevers, France. She died at the age of 35 from health problems related to lung disease. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was erected in 1872 in Lourdes, France as a tribute to the request Mary made to Bernadette to build a chapel in her honor for pilgrims to come and experience the deep love and healing that came from the spot she appeared. Millions of visitors come each year to pray and venerate the site where our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette.













St. Bernadette, Pray for Us


Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us

St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family

St. Joseph is one of the most beloved figures in the Catholic Church.  It's easy to see why when you examine the role he played in Jesus' life as his earthly foster father,  protector, and devoted husband to Mary.  I walked into the adoration chapel a few weeks ago, and someone had left literature about St. Joseph on the table.  I knew in that moment it had been set out for me.  St. Joseph had been on my mind and heart a few days before at church when the priest at mass gave a homily about him.  He spoke of Joseph in a way that made me think and reflect on the role of a husband and father in the family.  I couldn't help but think of my father who is still with me and has been married to my mother for over 40 years.  He has always been my protector, my strength, and my guide.  He has set and continues to set, an excellent example for our family as a man of strong faith who is devoted to his wife, children, and four grandchildren.  As I sat in adoration on this December day, I felt inspired to start reading out of Matthew.  So many thoughts came flooding in as I reflected the character and strength of Joseph.  The first thought I had was I wish we knew more about Joseph.  The scripture references to his life are few and far between which leaves us with many questions about his earthly life.  How old was he when he died?  Was Jesus present at his death?  He must have had more to say than what we see in scripture.

Many believe that Jesus held his earthly Father in his arms when he died.  After all, among many things, Joseph is the patron saint of a peaceful death.  Dying in the arms of Christ would surely be one of the most peaceful ways to pass from this world to eternity.  It's a beautiful image depicted in several churches, including St. Bernard of Clairvaux in Scottsdale, AZ (pictured below).

The scripture we do have about Joseph speaks volumes about his character and strong faith.   I'm going to examine and analyze a few places he appears starting with the Gospel of Matthew.  In Matthew 1:18-2, The Birth of Jesus, we are told a great deal about the high moral character and faith of Joseph.  I'm going to go a few lines at a time to discuss along the way.  I do this often when I'm teaching, and love the discussions my students and I have in these moments.

"Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit."  

Let's think about this for a moment ... Mary and Joseph are engaged.  Before they even live together, Mary is found with child.  When you look at the facts, the truth Joseph was facing at this moment, Mary's situation is scandalous, especially in the times we are talking about here.  Mary would have likely faced death if it was found out that she had sexual relations before marriage.  We see right at the end here that she conceives through the Holy Spirit.  Joseph's love is unwavering here. 

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 

Joseph must have been devastated and felt betrayed at that moment.  How could you not?  There is something so human about this.  We see these things happening in the present day all around us.  We have all had a "Joseph moment" when we have been betrayed by someone we love.  He had every right to call her out and shame her in his anger, but he didn't.  He was unwilling to expose her to shame and decided he would divorce her quietly.   His first thought goes to Mary, not to himself.  Do you think you would be able to do something like this if you were in a similar situation?

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins." 

The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and says just as the angel Gabriel said to Mary at the Annunciation and told him not to be afraid.  There is an explanation given to Joseph of why Mary is with child, but the details are not clear how it's all going to happen.  The dream does not state this. What is the great virtue of St. Joseph?  At this critical moment, he was willing to surrender to a plan, design, and purpose beyond what he could see.  He surrenders and accepts.  His faith is tremendous; he feels beyond what he can see and imagine.  Joseph is an excellent example of this attitude of faith.  It’s a painful and arduous path.  He can’t fully understand at the moment, but he accepts.  He says “yes” in the way that Mary says “yes” in her fiat without fully understanding what he was signing up for.

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.  He had no relations with her until she bore a son and he named him Jesus."

What do we see here? Simple, yet profoundly, obedience to the Spirit of the Lord.  He was chaste and pure.  We would expect nothing less for Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Joseph is a model husband that all men should attempt to emulate and exemplify in their marriages.

One last thing I wanted to point out is the similarity we have here regarding the importance of dreams and the strong faith displayed by both men when comparing St. Joseph with Joseph of the Old Testament.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it." So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Gen 41:15-16

Come to think of it several resemblances can be drawn between the two figures:  both men had fathers named Jacob, both fled Egypt, and both suffered without complaint when confronted with hardships in their lives.  I love it when scripture in the New Testament parallels figures and themes in the Old Testament.  It shows the complexity and richness of our faith and scripture.

What a wonderful time of year for us to reflect back to St. Joseph and all he did to protect the Holy Family.  His ability to recognize the divine guidance sent to him in his dreams literally saved this family on several occasions.  We can look to St. Joseph for protection in time of need.  He understands our hearts and can take our prayers straight to his son and our Heavenly Father.


#stjosephprayforus

Our Lady of Guadalupe Pray for Us

Today we celebrate the 485th anniversary of The Virgin Mary appearing to Juan Diego outside of Mexico City.  Mary so often appears to humble and soft spoken hearts.  Juan Diego is no exception to this.  He was a newly converted Aztec Indian who was startled and a bit perplexed when Mary appeared to him in December of 1531.  Mary's messages were quite clear, and the impact they had on his heart became evident immediately.  Our Lady wanted Juan Diego to take a message to the bishop asking for there to be a chapel erected in her honor.  The bishop asks for proof of the vision.  If you have been Catholic long enough, you know how the rest of the story goes.  Mary instructs Juan Diego to go to the top of the hill in Tepeyac and asks him to gather roses in his tilma.  Upon seeing the bishop again, Juan Diego opens his tilma and the roses fall out revealing the beautiful image that has beguiled all who study it today.  The bishop falls down on his knees, and Mary gets her chapel.

In 485 years the image has not deteriorated in color and has not shown any signs of wear or aging.  The miracles contained in this image have been studied by theologians, historians, and even scientists, all trying to discover how this is possible.  Simply put, as Catholics, we know it is possible because of Mary and our belief in The Holy Trinity.   It is a miracle, which by definition, is something that defies natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of Divine nature.

The impact of Mary appearing to Juan Diego was epic concerning the effect it had upon the spread of Catholicism in Mexico.  Because of this beautiful and miraculous event, Catholicism is now intrinsically woven into the culture and spirit of the Mexican people.  Bishop Robert Barron states the following in a recent article regarding the impact that this appearance had regarding the mass conversion to Christianity that followed:

"But within ten years of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, practically the entire Mexican people, nine million strong, converted to Christianity. La Morena had proved a more effective evangelist than Peter, Paul, St. Patrick, and St. Francis Xavier combined! And with that great national conversion, human sacrifice came to an end. She had done battle with fallen spirits and had won a culture-changing victory for the God of love."

I will leave you with a translation of the words that Mary spoke to Juan Diego on the occasions they met during those four days in December of 1531.  These words were shared with me by a friend today, and they brought a great deal of comfort.

"Hear and let it penetrate into your heart ...  Are you not under my shadow and protection?  Am I not your fountain of life?  Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?  Is there anything else you need?" 

Listen to the words of our Blessed Mother and let her hold you under her shadow and protection.   Pray to her.  She understands your heart.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for Us

Lay Down Your Burdens

Our burdens can be so heavy at times.  We are faced with so many challenges in our day to day lives.  The older I get, the heavier the burdens seem to be in my life and those around me.  Aging parents, cancer, death, divorce, the list goes on and on.  We struggle as Godly men and women to make sense of these burdens.  Why are we given these crosses to carry?  I wish I knew the answer to this question.  I've asked it many times myself.  It's hard to figure out the will of our God when it doesn't match up with the plans we had and have for our lives.  We have to remember that it is His will, and we must believe and trust that He will give us the strength to handle our crosses, survive the pain, and come alive again with happiness.  We are a resurrected people who are given the gift of Eternal Life.  His love and grace is ever-present in life and in death.

My students will often ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I wish I had a simple answer for them.  There are some things we cannot understand in the moment they are happening.  The pain is too much to bear.  God loves us, and he holds us close in these moments.  We have to be open to being held.  We have to be faithful in our prayers.  We have to be faithful in the good times and the bad.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" - Matthew 11: 28-30

If you were to reach out to your family and close friends and ask them how you can pray for them what would you hear?   Let me share with you what I heard today, "Please pray for my family my mother passed last night, my brother is facing a cancer diagnosis, please pray that I can carry my child to full term,  I'm having surgery soon please pray, my friend lost her twin to a tragic car accident, my significant other is still without a job after a year of searching, this is our first Christmas without my brother please pray for us, and for his children."   These are just a few of the prayer requests I received.

If you are struggling, I'm going to challenge you to pray.  Get on your knees, lay down before God and call out for his help.  If you are Catholic, go back to church and receive the Eucharist.  Christ will strengthen you.  Ask people to pray for you, pray for others, pray without ceasing.  God calls us to pray in Thanksgiving, and he desperately wants us to call out to him in times of despair.  Lay down your burdens; He will carry you.  His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.