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From Child To Mother
The first time the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette in the grotto at Lourdes, the meeting began with a smile from the mysterious Lady, directed toward the child standing in front of Her. Bernadette later reported that the Lady bowed Her head toward her in an initial mark of respect, which the child reciprocated. Later on, Bernadette said that when the Lady spoke to her, She addressed her using the intimate – as opposed to the formal – form of the word ‘you’. There is a lesson there for all of us. Often, in the midst of our piety and the recitation of our prayers, we can easily…
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Our Lady of Lourdes
The Apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes to Bernadette Soubirous in the Grotto of Massabieille Original text – © Will Ross Official The Soubirous Family The Soubirous family lived in the far north of the little town of Lourdes, in the Lapaca district. A large stream flowed there, and on this stream there were seven mills; one of them was known as the Boly Mill, and this had been the residence of the Soubirous. Francois Soubirous leased the mill from relatives of his wife, Louise. In many ways, it was the trade of the miller which had brought the couple together. They had married in the parish church on 9th January…
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Mother and Child
One of the notable characteristics of Catholicism is our great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. To begin with, this is something we do purely at the command of the Lord – “Behold thy Mother” – and at the invitation of the Church, which places the Mother of the Lord before us for our veneration. But as time passes and we come to know Her, so do we come to love Her also. It is impossible not to love Her. And so our devotion toward Her – our love – becomes something deep and spontaneous, like the clear water gushing out of a fountain. I shall…
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Our Solitary Boast
For the whole of my life, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been, without the shadow of a doubt, my favourite feast of the Mother of God. Her Immaculate Conception is the very first glimmer of dawn on the day of Salvation, heralding the coming of something – Someone – truly wonderful. Theologians have argued over this particular Catholic belief for many centuries. One side said the Blessed Virgin had to be always immaculate in order to worthily become the Mother of God; while the other side said that for Her to be immaculate, She could not – therefore – be redeemed from sin…
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Apostle of Divine Mercy
When it comes to the Saints, and particularly special or patronal Saints, I tend to be rather choosy; I like to imagine that I am choosing such and such a Saint to be a part of my life for reasons which I believe I have come up with of my own doing, without external input. St Bernadette was my first such saint, and is now a dear and trusted friend, who will be with me always. St Louis de Montfort earned his place through his astonishing writings, which continue to impel and inspire me. And St John Macias arrived courtesy of a small booklet about his life – when I…
