If you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit a Marian apparition site, you know the feeling. Heaven seems a little closer, the veil between heaven and earth is a little thinner, as you pray in a place where the Mother of God came down to earth, appearing to mankind with a heart full of love, and often to convey a message, a warning, or a request.
In 1858 in Lourdes, France, the Blessed Mother appeared to a 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous. The “Beautiful Lady” wore a white gown with a blue sash and prayed the Holy Rosary with Bernadette.
Over the course of 18 apparitions in the Grotto of Massabielle, Mary revealed her message and request to Bernadette. Our Lady often asked Bernadette to do acts of penance and pray for the conversion of sinners. She also told her, “Go, tell priests that the people are to come here in procession and to build a chapel.”
For quite a while, Bernadette did not know who this beautiful lady was who had spoken to her so frequently at the grotto. Eventually, after Bernadette asked the lady for her name on several occasions, she revealed her identity by saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
During the ninth apparition on February 25, 1858, the Blessed Mother instructed Bernadette to dig in a place within the grotto where a spring of water began to flow. Though the water started out just as a trickle and the water was muddy, Our Lady asked Bernadette to wash her face and drink the water. In a short time, the water became clear and flowed more steadily.
Since that apparition, pilgrims have used the water at Lourdes for drinking and washing in the hopes of finding graces and healing. Many sick and suffering people have visited Lourdes asking for Jesus’ healing power to work a miracle in their lives. And for many people, a miracle is exactly what they have experienced.
“At Lourdes, healing is possible on the physical, spiritual, and moral levels. But what Christ desires above all for each of us is spiritual healing. We are all sick in our hearts. Spiritual sickness is sin. We all need to be healed,” said Cardinal Béchara Raï in Lourdes.
Some people receive huge and miraculous physical healings from Christ, in which cancer disappears or paralysis is cured. Others receive more subtle healings, those that aren’t seen from the outside. Saint Bernadette said, “Just one drop is enough! It’s faith that’s needed!”
Just a few weeks ago, Relevant Radio pilgrims visited several Marian shrines in Europe, including Lourdes. They brought back some water from the Grotto at Lourdes to share as a thank you to our donors during this Spring Pledge Drive. And so we are happy to share that today only, donors who give at the $365, dollar-a-day level will be able to receive the Handbook of Prayers and a bottle of water from the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
There are a very limited number available, so don’t miss your opportunity to receive this very special thank you gift.
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