Afternoon Marian Chapel: Que soy era Immaculada Counceptiou

Close to where I live there is a big basilica called the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mother to all of us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, crush the snakes in my life with your foot! Be my mother and help me be like you.

There are dozens of little Marian (dedicated to Mary) chapels inside the basilica. Each one is from a different country where Mary has appeared to someone or where the country has a Marian devotion. Today I went to visit the one for Our Lady of Lourdes because it is her feast day and marks the day she appeared in Lourdes, France to St. Bernadette.

Our Lady of Lourdes chapel in the crypt of the Basilica in DC.

 It is a beautiful reverent replica of the grotto in Lourdes, France.

Seventy heavily investigated miracles have happened at Lourdes, France where Mary appeared, and many more hundreds of miracles that haven't been so rigorously investigated.

Many people visit the grotto who are ill or going through a difficulty and asking for Mary to interceded for them.

 The most recently approved and investigated miracle was on February 11, 2018. A lady called Sister Bernadette Moriau had an illness in her vertebra for 42 years and was headed for paralysis, she wore a splint on her foot and walked with a neuro-stimulator that plugged into her vertebra to help her walk. She had been taking morphine for 14 years to help with the pain. On February, 11, 2018 she went to Our Lady of Lourdes and went in a pool of the healing water. That night she went to pray after being in the pool. She suddenly felt that she should take off her corset, and her leg brace and walk. Her body was healed and she can walk perfectly well now and doesn't have any pain.

Sister Bernadette Moriau, who was healed of her deformed vertebra

"My Life is a Miracle"

Let's learn a bit about the story of Our Lady of Lourdes. Bernadette, the child who saw Mary, had cholera as a toddler and as a result had asthma for the rest of her life. She was a physically fragile child and was frequently sick so her very poor parents didn't send her to school, which was considered a luxury for any child, especially for their poor family. Bernadette spoke the local Pyrenees mountain dialect called Occitan, and she didn't speak French.

St Bernadette

One day, Bernadette went to collect firewood with her sisters by a local grotto or cave. There she was minding her own business picking up firewood when she saw a young lady in the cave. This was on February 11, 1858, which is why we now celebrate Our Lady of Lourdes. The lady motioned to her to start praying the rosary with her. *Pause: Can you imagine praying the rosary with Mother Mary?!* Bernadette was so shocked her hands trembled and she couldn't pray. As the Lady finished praying one decade of the rosary (ten Hail Mary's) she disappeared.

 Bernadette told her sisters what she saw and what happened. They told Bernadette's mother who spanked her for making up lies and told her never to go back to the grotto. Who knows what her mom thought!

A few days later, on February 14, 1858 Bernadette begged her mother to let her go back. Her mom, like my mom, begrudgingly conceded. This time Bernadette took Holy Water to sprinkle at the Lady and be sure the Lady was good and not evil. When she sprinkled Holy Water towards Mary, she bent her head to receive the water and smiled at Bernadette. They then prayed the rosary together.

Mother Mary told Bernadette several things. She told Bernadette to do penance frequently for sinners. People started to hear about the crazy girl going to the grotto and they went out of curiosity to watch her talk to this invisible Lady. Priests thought Bernadette was mad and they demanded that she give a name for the Lady or be put in prison. One day, at the grotto, Bernadette started to dig at the ground with her hand. There formed a pool of muddy water. She cupped some water and drank it, to the disgust of everyone there. They were positive she was totally crazy. Bernadette was doing it for penance for the sins of people. From the little spot of water that she dug grew a big spring of water. (Many people who have touched, drank or bathed in this water have had miracles happen to them.)

Bernadette finally had a beautiful conversation where the Lady revealed her name to her "Que soy era Immaculada Counceptiou" she said in dialect "I am the Immaculate Conception." Bernadette had no idea what this meant but went running to the parish priest to tell him what the Lady said she was. Bernadette was ignorant to theology and didn't know that four years earlier, Pope Pius IX had declared this as a dogma of Catholic Faith. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived by her mom, Anna, without sin. She was pure and perfect since she was a little tiny baby fetus in her mother's womb. Mary is incapable of sin. The only way God could have a person carry His Son would be if that person was totally pure! Baby Jesus could never be carried by a woman who sinned, cursed under her breath, and lied about how much she spent on new shoes. No, Jesus had to be carried by a perfectly perfect woman, and that woman was Mary who was without sin (Immaculately conceived).

Since that time, a font of water grew from the ground of Lourdes where Mary appeared. This is healing water where many people have received a physical healing. There are small interior pools where sick people can make appointments to go and soak in the water. Our Lady asked that a chapel be built for her and there is now a very impressive cathedral dedicated to her.

Lourdes in the winter.

I love the vintage post cards below where you can see many crutches from people who were healed at Lourdes.

I also loved seeing pictures of Pope John Paul II when he made his last visit to Lourdes as a very sick man. I love seeing how he prayed like he meant every word of his prayers.

St. Pope John Paul, pray for us. 

"The rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple, and theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it." - St. Pope John Paul II