The story of our Lady’s appearances to St. Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes, France fascinates me. Mary visited the Grotto of Massabielle nineteen times beginning February 11, 1858. She requested abandonment of reason in favor of faith, prayer for sinners, humility, “penance, penance, penance” and required Bernadette to uncover a spring that still today pours forth healing waters. During the Lourdes apparitions Mary – in a moment of singular humility and subservience to God – revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.
The Lourdes apparitions give us many things on which to meditate, but the one I’m most drawn to is the holy boldness of St. Bernadette. Consider that she was doubted by her companions, family, parish priest and others in the hierarchy, the authorities, and townspeople. Her mother even had given her a “good beating” after the first apparition because she assumed Bernadette had made up the story. She was threatened, accused of lying, and scoffed at. She was labeled insane and made to undergo examination by a commission of doctors and skeptics bent on proving her mentally unfit. Yet, she kept to her accounts – which never changed – whenever she was asked to repeat them.
Our Lady asked Bernadette to do ridiculous things that made her appear to others as though she’d lost her mind. When instructed to ask the parish priest to build a chapel in honor of our Lady at the grotto, she courageously issued the request despite it having been met with ridicule. When our Lady instructed her to “go and wash and drink in the spring” even though there was no spring, Bernadette did as she was told, digging into the sand until the miraculous waters gushed forth. Then she washed herself – in the process smearing mud all over her face – and drank some of the muddy water. When our Lady instructed Bernadette to “kiss the ground for sinners,” she immediately knelt at the foot of the grotto, kissed the ground, and made her way up on her knees, kissing the ground as she went. When authorities barricaded the Lourdes grotto, Bernadette didn’t distress but rather placed her confidence in our Lady to see that the barricades were removed by the very men who had put them up. They were.
It strikes me that the experience of St. Bernadette is so similar to our experiences today. Those who stand up for the truth are accused of lying, threatened, imprisoned, scoffed at, judged by skeptics, and even labeled insane. Yet there are brave souls who endure such mistreatment for the sake of the Truth. I also find it striking that the demonic SatanCon conference taking place in Scottsdale, AZ February 11-13, starts on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. That is not a coincidence!
I believe that we are being called to something vital at a vital moment in time. Satan and his demons are on the loose and have been for quite some time. Unprecedented evil is taking place in our world, but unprecedented good is taking place as well. The harder Satan fights, the more heroes will emerge from the ranks and the more forceful we will rise up against him bearing the shield of God. We have his grace to strengthen and uphold us and the protection of Our Lady of Lourdes to accompany us. Evil must not continue to have its way and we must stand firm against it. The question is, will we take our cue from Bernadette of Soubirous?
I encourage you to join the nationwide initiative to fast, pray, and make acts of reparation that will coincide with the SatanCon conference started by evangelist Jesse Romero. I and my husband will be joining, too. Learn more at AZ Rise Up Faithful.
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