Subj : February 11th - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes To : All From : rich Date : Sun Feb 10 2019 08:42:27 From: rich February 11th - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Church Approval: =E2=80=A2 on 18 January 1862 Bishop Bertrand-S=C3=A9v=C3=A8re Mascarou-Laur= ence, with the authorisation of Pope Pius IX, declared that the faithful are =E2=80=9Cjustified in believing the reality of the apparition=E2=80=9D =E2=80=A2 national French pilgrimages to the site began in 1873 =E2=80=A2 the basilica of Notre-Dame de Lourdes was consecrated in 1876 =E2=80=A2 Blessed Pope Pius IX formally granted a canonical coronation to t= he statue of Our Lady in the courtyard of the basilica on 3 July 1876 =E2=80=A2 Church of the Rosary consecrated in 1901 =E2=80=A2 a special office and Mass were authorised by Pope Leo XIII =E2=80=A2 observance of the feast extended to the whole Church by St Pope P= ius X in 1907 ... Beginning on February 11, 1858, The Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous a total of 18 times in Lourdes, France. The final visitation occurred on July 16, 1858. Since that time, hundreds of millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, with crowds reaching 40,000 each day on average during busier times of year. Over 60 miraculous cures have been recorded in the grotto where the Blessed Virgin appeared, or due to the curative properties of the spring which appeared during the apparitions. During her visitations with Saint Bernadette, Our Lady of Lourdes, delivered a message of penance and prayer, and through the simple faith of Saint Bernadette, the message of Lourdes was revealed for all people throughout the world. Our Blessed Mother reminds us to return to the Word of God through poverty, penance, prayer, and participation. We embrace our poverty of spirit, not denying our gifts or talents, but acknowledging that they are precious gifts of our Lord and Savior. This leaves us open to the word of God, willing to answer His call, and advance His glory, not our own. We strengthen our hearts of prayer, finding praise and thanksgiving to the Lord in not only our quiet moments of contemplation, but in our moments of service and witness to others. We offer penance for our sin and for those of others, not just in sacrifice and acts of penance, but true conversion of heart and return to God. This penance involves remembering what the price of allowing sin into our lives is, what we lose from separation from our Lord. It also calls us to forgiveness, both of ourselves and of others. And lastly, we are moved to participation--not just in pilgrimage--but as active members of our faith community, the Church. This pulls us from isolation or individual worship, and reminds us that we are members of the Church, and we share a communion with one another, with the saints who have gone before us, and with Our Blessed Mother. Saint Quote: It is loving the Cross that one finds one heart, for Divine Love cannot live without suffering. --St. Bernadette <><><><> Invocations 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, thou wert pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence thou dispenses thy favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence, to implore thy maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. I will endeavor to imitate thy virtues, that I may one day share thy glory, and bless thee in eternity. Amen. O MARY, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. O BLESSED be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. HOLY Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, speak thou for us to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son and our Brother. OUR Lady of Lourdes, pray for us! MY Mother, deliver me from mortal sin! http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/marys-book16.htm <><><><> Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes O Holy Virgin, in the midst of your days of glory, do not forget the sorrows of this earth. Cast a merciful gaze upon those who are suffering, struggling against diversity, with their lips constantly pressed against life's bitter cup. Have pity on those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on our rebellious hearts. Have pity on our weak faith. Have pity on those we love. Have pity on those who weep, on those who pray, on those who fear. Grant hope and peace to all. Amen. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .