Today, we commemorate the optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. This day also holds profound significance as the 33rd World Day of the Sick. This global event draws pilgrims from all corners of the world to the French town of Lourdes. There, they seek Mary’s intercession for their own healing or that of others. In the Gospels, Jesus consistently reveals Himself as the ultimate source of all healing for humanity. This culminated in the most profound healing: victory over death. The central message of Mary at Lourdes and other places of her apparition is always ‘Jesus’. No healing can be genuine outside the truth of the Gospel. Mary always points back to Jesus by encouraging prayer and conversion of heart. And, any authentic apparition is recapitulated in Christ by the Church.
Apparitions
Why do apparitions occur, and to whom are they addressed? Apparitions are private revelations primarily directed to the visionaries. Those whom God chooses based on the same criteria He used during His time among us. They are often the last, the small, and the simple. These apparitions resonate deeply in the consciences of many. Still, we must remember that they are private revelations that should be interpreted in the light of the message God wants to convey through Mary to that visionary. And, by extension, to us. They do not add to the “public revelation” of God which culminated in Christ. And, should not be interpreted in an absolute manner without the guidance of the Church.
Mary’s will always aligns with that of Jesus. Therefore, the voice of the Mother is the gentle voice of God, placing Jesus in the hearts of men, within the embrace of the Church. In particular, the message of Lourdes, where the Virgin Mary presented herself to the simple girl, Bernadette Soubirous, as the Immaculate Conception, invites us to rediscover our vocation: “The Father has chosen us… to be holy and blameless before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). This is our calling: to be holy, meaning “full of God,” conforming to Him; and to be immaculate, pure, and free from sin. The Holy Virgin reminds us of our greatness, invites us to reach it, and helps us on our journey. Today’s Gospel challenges us to live this dynamic faith. Avoid a superficial relationship with God reduced to merely following some rules to feel justified or, perhaps, better than others. We are called to heaven, to holiness, to become “champions of love.”
World Day of the Sick
In his message for this year’s World Day of the Sick with the theme: “‘Hope does not disappoint’ (Rom 5:5), but strengthens us in times of trial”, Pope Francis recognizes that it can be a perplexing experience when we see that “our bodies (or those of our loved ones) are prey to severe, debilitating illnesses that require costly treatment that we may not be able to afford” (emphasis mine). How can we remain strong and maintain hope in the face of a grave sickness?
According to the Holy Father, we should “realize that we need God’s help, his grace, his Providence, and the strength that is the gift of his Spirit”. The Pontiff, while praying for the sick all over the world, invites us to “learn how to cherish the gentle smile of a nurse, the gratitude and trust of a patient, the caring face of a doctor or volunteer, or the anxious and expectant look of a spouse, a child, a grandchild or a dear friend”.
This message of hope and trust in God’s grace reassures us and brings comfort in our times of trial. The Pope concludes his message with this powerful prayer to the Virgin Mary. We can always entrust ourselves and our sick loved ones to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, asking the grace of strength and healing:
We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
