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Bernadette Soubirous is the saint of
Lourdes, France. Visionary and
messenger of the Immaculate
Conception, she told us the very
words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in
the native Basque tongue of Southern
France and Northern Spain. She spoke
words teaching of the merits of
prayer, penance, poverty and church.
In the first and most widely
recognized Marian apparition of
modern times, a personal message was
delivered also to Bernadette—She
would not find happiness in this
world, but only in the next.
She was to die twenty–one years
later in 1879 after a prolonged and
painful illness. She remained hidden
in a convent about 300 miles from
home, a refuge from the
interrogations and the pilgrims that
never ceased seeking her. At
thirty–five, her strong–willed
manner gave way to her frail body,
and she finally entered into her
eternal happiness.
While she took with her the
knowledge of certain secrets the
Virgin gave her, one secret remained
hidden in our presence. The most
spectacular of all the
incorruptibles, Bernadette's
miraculously preserved body remained
buried in a damp grave for thirty
years until the cause for
beatification was taken up. To this
day, the body of Bernadette is a
profound source of inspiration and
of mystery surrounding the ways of
the Lord. The face of Bernadette is
one of surreal beauty, and will
remain for us always the face that
gazed into the eyes of the Mother of
God. |
