April 16, 2005St. Bernadette Soubirous
St. Bernadette was born in 1844 to a poor family in southern France, the oldest of six children. To help support her family, Bernadette worked as a shepherdess.
Our February 11, 1858 (Around the time of her First Communion) the 14-year-old had a vision of the Blessed Mother near a cave along the Gave River in Lourdes. The Blessed Mother appeared to her 18 more times in the next two months.
During one vision, Bernadette was led to a spring of healing waters. During another vision, Mary stated she was the Immaculate Conception, and that a church should be built on the site. Authorities tried to shut down the spring and to delay construction of the chapel. But Empress Eugenie of France, the wife of Napoleon III, interceded and construction continued.
In 1866, Bernadette entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers. After a prolonged illness, Bernadette died on this date in 1879. She was 35. When her body was exhumed 30 years later, it was perfectly preserved.
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Lourdes is second only to Paris in having hotel rooms for visitors to France.
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More than six million people visit Lourdes each year. More than 2,000 sick or crippled people have reported being cured, but only 66 cases have been certified as miraculous by a medical board.
Saturday, Third Week of EasterThen the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the braking of the bread.
Luke 24:35
The two disciples who just returned from a round trip to Emmaus finally get a chance to tell their story – what happened on the road and, most of all, at the supper table.
You can imagine what that room was like as they all try to talk at once about the turn of events. Today it would be “high fives” all around.
After all, these were no fools. Mary Magdalene was no fool. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were no fools. Peter and Andrew and James and John were no fools. The “doubting Thomas” was certainly no fool.
And Paul. He could tell his own story about meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus. He wasn’t out looking for “an experience of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He was out looking for Christians to throw in jail.
Yes, it does help to know that these people believed and staked their lives on it.
We believe because we ourselves have experienced the risen Lord, especially at Eucharist.
Spend some quiet time with the Risen Lord.
