Saturday - Our Lady's Day

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comfort of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary from which you dispense your favors. Already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirimities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore with unceasing confidence to implore your motherly intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. Let me strive to imitate your virtues on earth, that I may one day share your glory in heaven. Amen.

SALUS INFIRMORUM - ORA PRO NOBIS!

MARY, you have learned the meaning of compassion while you witnessed the long and bitter sufferings of your Son during His holy Passion. At the foot of the cross you received from His lips as an inheritance all the faithful as your children in the person of the beloved disciple John. Your children who invoke you know that your power equals your love. When you were told that Elizabeth was with child, you hastened to her side to help her. If you showed such compassion for the married couple at Cana who were disturbed because the wine failed, how much more will you have pity on the sick whose need is far greater. Who can number all the miraculous cures of the most terrible diseases of body and soul, which have been wrought through your intercession? When we visit sacred shrines, like Lourdes and Fatima, where great churches have been erected in your honor, we find there inscriptions engraved by gratitude and gifts offered to your altar as trophies of your power over diseases which resisted all human aid. Therefore, to whom after Jesus can the Christian turn in the crosses and sufferings of life, if not to you, the Health of the Sick? In your motherly compassion, sympathize with the sick throughout the world and give them comfort and, help, and even health, if this should be God's will.

MARY, you comfort the sick with motherly love and alleviate their sufferings. You take an interest in them lest they lose patience and become discouraged. A mother watches day and night by the bedside of her darling child when it is dangerously ill, lovingly she treats the little one and caresses it. But your love for us is greater than any mother's love. Unseen you stand at the sickbed and serve them with motherly care. You pour strengthening remedies into the hearts of the sick so that they feel their pains of sickness soothed; you speak words of peace and consolation to their souls, so as to revive their courage and to strengthen their confidence; you procure for them the forgiveness of their sins and peace of conscience which is such a comfort in suffering. You help them in every temptation and give them grace to gain the victory. You confirm their hope, fill them with confidence in God, and help them to pray with a cheerful heart and perfect resignation: Thy will be done!

Health of the Sick, help me to realize that it is a great grace to be sick. May sickness lead me to a knowledge of my helplessness and teach me the virtue of humility. May sickness open my eyes to the vanity of all earthly things and direct my heart to those which are above. May sickness weaken the violence of carnal desires and remove from me the occasion of sin. May sickness teach me to pray with devotion; may it give me an opportunity to practice obedience, humility, and confidence in God. May I use sickness as one of the great means I have of atoning for my sins and of increasing my merits for heaven. Help me to thank God for sickness. Though I use the proper means for recovery, I wish to leave it entirely to God to do with me what He wills since He knows what is best for me. Perfect resignation is the most acceptable sacrifice to God, as you have taught me in your own life.

MARY, you are the health of the spiritually sick. In the days of their strength they live in forgetfulness of God, and when illness overtakes them, they lie down with the poison of sin eating into their hearts. The gnawing worm of conscience, the fear of their approaching death, of the judgment to come, and of a never-ending eternity, fills them with anguish and brings them to the verge of despair. May they, too, learn that you are the health of the Sick. Obtain for them the grace of repentance and forgiveness and even bodily health.

PRAYER
Grant us, Your servants, we beg of You, O Lord God, that we may be blessed with health of soul and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, be freed from the sorrows of this present life and enjoy everlasting bliss. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

HEALTH OF THE SICK - PRAY FOR US!

Credits: "Our Lady's Titles - Meditations for all Saturdays of the Year" by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik - copy of the text after Intermirifica Loreto Litany meditations - link on the sidebar Rosary section

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Lourdes, February 11th - 14th 2008

I present today slide show-movie, the record of my pilgrimage to Lourdes. The movie starts with vintage Holy Card followed by old photo of the Grotto as seen in St Bernadette times. We can also have a glimpse of Bernadette and the Grotto when it became celebrated place of worship. These four photographs are introduction to pictures I have taken during my stay in Lourdes. The photos show the main events of these several days. During the first day, on our arrival we first decided to pay a visit to Our Lady and lit votive candles at the Grotto of Messabielle while listening to International Mass open air celebrated just over the river. The several next pictures show exterior and interior of Immaculate Conception Basilica which top up the Crypt - the first chapel built at Our Lady's request. The building beneath is the Rosary Basilica which has a crowned dome. The gold plated crown was founded by faithful Irish Catholics from all over the world. In the afternoon of the first day, we participated in the Eucharistic Procession with over 920 priests gathered at Lourdes to pay homage to Our Lady. The procession took place around the main square in front of Basilicas. The square is adorned with beautiful crowned statue of Our Lady. The first day ended with International Rosary and candle procession concluded with prayers at the Grotto. The following days were marked by Jubilee pilgrimage to places connected with life of St Bernadette where we had an opportunity to collect stickers for Jubilee medal commemorating steps of this meditative journey and needed to fulfill conditions of Indulgence generously granted by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. On the way we visited Soubirou's family home, called Boly Mill, where St Bernadette was born, the original baptisery used for her baptism is now located within new Parish Church that replaced the original one completely destroyed by the fire at the end of XIX century. Interestingly, the front of the Church with baptismal font was the only part of the Church spared from the fire. Next we visited Le Cachot, the desolate former prison cell room measuring a bit over 12 feet square where Bernadette lived with her parents and three other siblings. This loving and very close family lived there in utter poverty in despicable conditions after Bernadette's father lost both business and family house, was left half blinded after accident at the mill he run, was falsely acused of stealing his own flour and had to spent eight days in prison before being finally declared innocent. He never, however, recovered his good name and was thought a thief when first Apparitions took place. The Jubilee pilgrimage ended with the visit to Hospice run by Sisters of Charity where Bernadette received her First Communion and lived there since Apparitions ended to avoid ever increasing attention of the public. Important devotion of the following days were prayers at Lourdes spectacular open air Stations of the Cross located on the steepy hill neighbouring Basilica of Immaculate Conception. The Stations are made of natural size figures and each Station in very vivid manner depicts dramatic moments of Our Lord's Passion. The first Station is usually prayed by the faithful on miniature replica of Santa Scala Church holy steps originating from Pilate palace and located in Rome. Time spent in Lourdes was certainly very special spiritual experience for every pilgrim that can be celebrated only once in fifty years. The faithful were blessed with two multiple sclerosis cures during these first days of Jubilee year celebrations.

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Lourdes - collection of videos

Notre-Dame de Lourdes, in the Department of Hautes Pyrenées, France, is far-famed for the pilgrimage of which it is a centre and for the extraordinary events that have occurred and still occur there. Thousands of people singing the Salve Regina at the end of the daily torchlight Rosary procession in Lourdes, France.

Lourdes 11th-14th February 2008 - Jubilee Year celebration started





Song of Bernadette - movie trailer

History of Lourdes apparitions

The pilgrimage of Lourdes is founded on the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to a poor, fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubiroux. The first apparition occurred 11 February, 1858. There were eighteen in all; the last took place 16 July, of the same year. Bernadette often fell into an ecstasy. The mysterious vision she saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle was that of a young and beautiful lady. "Lovelier than I have ever seen" said the child. But the girl was the only one who saw the vision, although sometimes many stood there with her. Now and then the apparition spoke to the seer who also was the only one who heard the voice. Thus, she one day told her to drink of a mysterious fountain, in the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which there was no sign, but which immediately gushed forth. On another occasion the apparition bade Bernadette go and tell the priests she wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made to the grotto. At first the clergy were incredulous. It was only four years later, in 1862, that the bishop of the diocese declared the faithful "justified in believing the reality of the apparition". A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by M. Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873 the great "national" French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In 1883 the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church; it is now observed on 11 February. On an errand with her sister Marie and school friend Jeanne to collect firewood outside the town of Lourdes, Bernadette is left behind when her companions warn her not to wade through the cold river by the Massabelle caves for fear of taking ill. About to cross anyway, Bernadette is distracted by a strange breeze and a change in the light. Investigating the cave, she finds a beautiful lady standing in brilliant light, holding a pearl rosary. She tells her sister and friend, who promise not to tell anyone else, but of course they do, and the story soon spreads all over town. Many, including Bernadette's Aunt Bernarde, believe her and stand up for her with her disbelieving parents, but Bernadette faces civil and church authorities alone. Repeatedly questioned, she stands solidly behind her outlandish story and continues to return to the cave as the lady has asked. She faces ridicule as the lady tells her to drink and wash at a spring that doesn't exist, but digs a hole in the ground and uses the wet sand and mud. The water begins to flow later and exhibits miraculous healing properties. The lady finally identifies herself as "the Immaculate Conception". Civil authorities try to have her declared insane, while the Church wants a formal investigation to find out if Bernadette's a fraud, insane, or genuine. They conclude that her experiences are real

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