Our Lady’s apparition to St. Bernadette at Lourdes
Re-blogged from: A Catholic Land. http://www.acatholicland.org/
The Apparitions of The Blessed Virgin to Bernadette at Lourdes.
Lourdes 1858.
At Lourdes, on the feast of the Annunciation [March 25th] the Blessed Virgin acknowledged explicitly the Church declaration of 1854 that had, at last, proclaimed Her Immaculate Conception to be an article of Faith. This unprecedented happening reveals Its great significance. That She so explicitly acknowledged the declaration reveals how important the understanding of the Immaculate Conception is; that She is pure; without sin, as befits the Mother of God, that She is all powerful in defeating the evil ones, She is the Woman of the Book of Revelation, She is the Woman of Genesis.
The Immaculate Conception
The eighteen apparitions at Lourdes saw the Blessed Virgin revealing Herself as our Advocate and Mediator, She explicitly revealed, during the first apparition, when the seer; Bernadette, said the Rosary, how our prayers are heard through Hers:
“The Lady, now holding her own rosary in her joined hands, turned towards Bernadette, and
made the Sign of the Cross in a manner so reverent and dignified that the beholder strove to
reproduce it all the days of her life. Then,without moving her lips, she passed the beads
through her fingers one by one as the little girl, who had sunk to her knees, recited the prayers.”
The apparitions saw the Blessed Virgin voicing Her concerns for Her children, She who sees the punishments that await sinners. During the sixth apparition, February 21st, Bernadette asked Her what made Her sad, the Blessed Virgin replied:”Pray for sinners.” She called on people to repent, saying “repentance, repentance, repentance.” During the February 27th apparition She spoke of penance, asking Bernadette to do penance for herself first and then for others.
In the second apparition, the Blessed Virgin had also drawn our attention to the next life and to Her powerful role; remember that for those who embrace Her and who are devoted to Her, She is our Mother in this life and the next; She said to Bernadette: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the other.” The Blessed Virgin also performed a public miracle at Lourdes. On 25th February, the ninth apparition, She pointed to a piece of ground; Bernadette scratched away at the surface and a spring of water rose steadily from the spot. Twenty seven gallons of water have gushed forth from the spring every day since, and from which comes the wondrous healing waters of Lourdes. The final apparition (the eighteenth apparition) took place on July16th, feast of Our Lady of Carmel: As Lane points out: “The people of Lourdes have always cherished a special devotion to this feast. Perhaps that is why Our Lady chose it for Her final visit.”
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
Illustrations like the one above – do untold harm to the image of Catholicism among people of even the most rudimentary sophistication.
In my opinion.
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Why Toad?
I searched for a pic that might please you, but there aren’t any master paintings from the mid-nineteenth century onwards.
But what about the beautiful Immaculate Conception by Murillo?
If, as you say, the first does “harm to the image of Catholicism” (something I heartily disagree with of course), surely the second should inspire one the other way then?
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It would be lovely to have Toad brush out a better image, kathleen, I’m sure we would all agree. Probably make a packet too, though you never know with the Interweb and social media stealing all the royalties nowadays.
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@ GC 😆
_____
When I first visited Lourdes with my family as an impressionable 15 year old, the deep and lasting memory of this holy sanctuary for me was not the magnificent setting in the Pyrenees by the roaring river, nor even the lovely basilica and candlelit apparition cave.
The wonder of Lourdes for me were the crippled, infirm people in their hundreds or thousands filing past, seeking solace from the Blessed Mother. Some of the sick being wheeled by praying their rosaries or singing had horrific deformities or illnesses – I was staggered by them – yet in each person that passed by me there was the burning fire of love and faith in their eyes; it was unmistakeable! They weren’t complaining or downcast – quite the opposite.
That these pilgrims could still sing and praise God (whilst supposedly offering up their terrible sufferings) was the best lesson that a young self-centred teenager could ever have had!
I’ve returned to Lourdes a few times since then, but I shall never forget that first visit. And the great outpouring of grace that I received.
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Big Dave is another, probably the same, troll using a Tor Browser.
We don’t like trolls like that.
Good bye Big Dave!
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What is all this Tor-browser-trolls?
Makes me feel even more inadequate than usual. Don’t understand a word of it. But then, I can’t even understand wheelbarrows.
…I find Murillo a bit “sugary,” as well. But the standard of artwork on here is normally irreproachable. As is the examples with Raven’s “Fine Word,” essay yesterday
Rather fine words from him, as well. In general.
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What a miraculous story but how come these miracles don’t happen anymor.
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What a wonderful feelings when we visited the Our Lady…so amazing…
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Pingback: 2/11 Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes » Luisa Piccarreta
Re Toad’s recoil from sugary art…Hindu holy pics are similar (maybe worse?). IMO religious art history shows that something “happened” at the Italian Renaissance. Caravaggio and then Rembrandt stood their ground, but the 19th c reached a nadir of taste. Georges Rouault, Van Gogh, even Gauguin gave us more truthful images. The Middle Ages were magnificent: both down to earth and creative (full of local idiosyncrasy, with some of the saints more poetic in their miracles!) not unlike the local tradition in southern Italy celebrating St Domenic…no Madonna crushing the snake’s head, but instead, a wonderful ancient snake festival, more like ancient Malta? (in Cocullo, first Thursday in May).
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Bit of an old grump, wasn’t Toad – way back in 2014? Mellowed with age since then.
Piliersdelaterre makes a good point now.
“IMO religious art history shows that something “happened” at the Italian Renaissance. “
Representing Christ as Man – ahead of Christ as God, possibly? It’s a shame religious art seems to be moribund today. Not surprising, though.
Mary above is glamorous. Also white and European ( Surbiton, perhaps) Based possibly on Ingrid Bergman in old Bing Crosby movies? (Don’r be absurd, Toad! Must be the other way round!)
https://es.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Ingrid+Bergman+as+a+nun&fr=yfp-t-907
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May I know the complete location of Our LAdy Of Lourdes where St Bernadette had seen it. I want to see the place. Thank you.
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Our lady of Lourdes, pray for us
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Pray for us
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