Our Lady of Fatima, continued

How is your apparition IQ?

Of course, you know that Mary appeared to Bernadette on February 11, 1858 and this is the 100th anniversary of the apparition at Fatima, which occurred May 13, 1917. 

There have been many more apparitions of Mary throughout the ages.  Mary says more in her apparitions than she did in the Bible. 

While at the foot of the cross, Jesus shared His Mother with us.  She then, became our Mother.  She takes up her mantle and comes to us. This is more so now than in Jesus' time.  We know those visits as her apparitions.  It all makes sense because in all her apparitions, Mary asks us to go to her Son and listen to Him.  As in the Bible, she was listening to her Son.  She always points to Him.

Did you know that on April 1870, Julia Harms saw the Blessed Virgin Mary at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine?  She was the wife of the owner of the Harms Farm, as the Shrine was known before it was sold to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1920. 

We invite you to continue listening to our Lord, as Mary requests. 
Come and share in the 3 days of prayer to St. Ann and St. Joachim, Jesus' grandparents, on July 24, 25, and 26.  We will pray the Rosary at 7:00pm each night, followed by Mass.

In August, the Novena for the Assumption will take place at the Shrine from August 7th through August 15th.  Come join us in prayer.

Bernadette's Example to Us

The Story of Our Lady of Lourdes is such a beautiful one, not only because Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, but also because of Bernadette's example to all of us!

Did you know that Mary told Bernadette three secrets?  She was faithful and kept her promise to Our Lady.  Everyone tried to guess what the secrets were, but all Bernadette would say was that the secrets were for her alone.

The message of the apparition were to pray for sinners, do penance, and to enable the people to come to Jesus in procession.  We do this every time we approach Jesus in the Eucharist.  The question remains, though, can we be as devout and faithful as Bernadette?  Can we give our lives to do what Jesus and Mary ask us to do?  Are we "Catholic" only on Sunday?  Bernadette gave everything to God.  After a child made their First Communion, if they were poor, they were expected to find work.  They were not able to pay for further education.  When Bernadette was asked what she wanted to do, her reply was that she wished to be a nun.  People thought she might change her mind, but Bernadette was firm in her decision.

Bernadette - Continued

Getting back to our story of Lourdes and Bernadette in 1858, with the drawing to the close of the apparitions, the Grotto was in a state of flux.

Many visionaries cropped up and were proven false.  Perhaps this was permitted so that they could be compared to Bernadette, and then it would quickly point out the difference between the two.

Bernadette herself finally made her First Holy Communion on June 3, 1858.  It was said that it took her a long time to prepare for this event because she had difficulty learning her catechism.  But just think - this was the person whom God chose to receive his Mother here on earth!

The final vision occurred on July 16th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  Bernadette tried to resume her life as it was before the apparitions.  She sought no attention, but she was in the middle of it because of all the visions to Lourdes seeking cures.  Bernadette's focus was upon Mary's main message - prayer and penance.  Mary's message to Bernadette is as relevant today as it was in 1858.  It is up to us to live this message in our own lives.  It wasn't glamorous then and it isn't now, but then Bernadette wasn't chosen for her glamor.  God Bless us all!

9th and 10th Apparitions

The 9th Apparition is perhaps the most famous because at this apparition, we were all given a remedy for our infirmities: the water.

It was nearly dawn when Bernadette was called to the Grotto and there were many people present. All these people could see was Bernadette looking under the rocks, going to the River Gave, and finally drinking the dirty, muddy water found under a rock at the Grotto and eating the weeds.  To those that observed this, Bernadette had lost her head.  To those without faith, she was a live comedy show, maybe what we today would call a reality show.  It wasn't until the next two Apparitions that things would become a little clearer.

People did not notice, as they laughed and doubted, Bernadette's behavior, the water was becoming clearer and flowing stronger.  The following day was the 10th Apparition.


At the 10th Apparition, we see Bernadette drink and wash a bit in the water.  We also see her on her knees kissing the ground and going up to the Grotto on her knees.  Bernadette tells us that the "beautiful lady" asked her to make this sacrifice for the sinners in the world.

Something very special is happening at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid as well.
In this Year of Mercy, Bishop Lennon has asked us to be one of the sites of the Holy Door in the Cleveland Diocese.  The other site is St. John's Cathedral.

Once again, Mary's Shrine becomes a site of great mercy and forgiveness.  For anyone who walks through the Holy Door, says an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Holy Father, and goes to Mass and Confession a week before or a week after walking through the Holy Door, will receive a spiritual plenary indulgence.  This means that any time to be spent in Purgatory is lessened either for you, for a deceased person, a person you are praying for, or the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Talk to your Parishes about making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine!  Experience the outpouring of Mercy!

Opening of the Holy Door

Sunday, April 3rd - 10:00am - Opening of the Holy Doors

The Ceremony begins under the pavilion and continues with a procession to the front Doors of the Chapel, followed by Mass, celebrated by Bishop Richard Lennon.

Attendance is by ticket only, unfortunately all tickets have been distributed.  If you were unable to get a ticket, please visit the Shrine in the afternoon!





Receive an indulgence by making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine:

• Walk through the Holy Door
• Say an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intention of the Holy Father
• Go to Mass and Communion
• Go to Confession (a week before or a week after making the Pilgrimage)

Fulfill all of these holy practices and receive the Mercy of God: an indulgence for yourself, someone deceased, someone you are praying for, or those Holy Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to be suffered for sins that have already been forgiven.  

Shrine Masses:

Weekdays:  7:00am - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

                    5:00pm - Tuesday (Holy Hour 3:30-4:30pm)

Saturday:     8:00am

Sunday:        April - October
                     8:00am - in the Chapel
                     9:30am - (April - in the Chapel);  (May - October, weather permitting, in the Grotto)


Shrine Confessions:
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month (April - October)  5:30pm - 7:00pm

Bernadette - 8th Apparition - Penance

Last month we spoke about how Mary slowly prepared St. Bernadette by interior change begun by prayer.  This month, we will address the beginning of Bernadette's public mission given to her at the 8th apparition.


During this apparition, Bernadette's face showed many expressions.  She would look like she was extremely happy at one moment and extremely sad at the next.  When she came out of her ecstasy, she could be heard saying the words: "Penance, Penance, Penance."

In fact, Mary had told her to do Penance for sinners in the world and later that would be the instruction for all of us.  It was Lent when Mary began these visits to Bernadette, just like it is Lent now today.



What Penance have we offered up for sinners?

We too are sinners.  How do we try to make reparation with the Lord for our sins?




Confession is the most obvious way.





Prayer, fasting, and alms giving are what the Church advises us to do anyway.  Mary has a way of reminding us of the good things that we need to do.  Mary takes things one step further, in the 9th apparition, which will be discussed next month.

December 2015 - Our Lady of Lourdes story - 5

Happy Thanksgiving!  Happy Advent!  Merry Christmas!

Continuing the story ...

Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times. 
On the 3rd apparition, Bernadette was accompanied by two women of the village.  When Bernadette saw the "beautiful lady", she began to say the Rosary as did the two women.  it was at this apparition that Mary asked Bernadette to come to the Grotto for 15 days.  Mary told Bernadette at this time she should come and not expect any favor of this world.  Mary said, "I did not come to make you happy here on earth, but in Heaven."

While they were praying, one of the women who was with her withdrew a bit.  She carried an internal weight and felt unworthy to be there.  When she asked if she should remain, Bernadette told her that the "beautiful lady" smiled at her and that there was no reason why she should not come.

The ladies wanted to know who this apparition was so they brought with them an inkwell and pen.  When Bernadette presented this to the Lady, she simply said, "It is not necessary." 

This beautiful story continues, but isn't it a bit like ours?  How many times do we approach Jesus and his Mother and think we are not worthy?  Just imagine in your heart, Mary smiling at you and saying there is no reason why you should not come.

As we approach Jesus' birth at Christmas, we should be there with him and the other adorers in the manger.

November 2015 - Our Lady of Lourdes story - 4

We pick up our Lourdes story with the beginning of apparitions. 

News spread like wildfire ... the entire town heard that Bernadette had seen a "beautiful lady" at the garbage dump called Massabielle.  Some people thought Bernadette was making it all up for attention.  Why would a "beautiful lady" appear to an uneducated peasant girl with a questionable family reputation in a garbage dump?

 

Stop for a moment.  Identify that moment in your life when what seemed signed, sealed, and delivered was turned totally upside down.  Did any good come of that experience?  In hindsight, was the change in the situation even better than what you were expecting?  If we cooperate with God, he will always send us what is better for us even if at first it seems to be the worst thing possible. 

 

That is what the apparitions were for Bernadette and her family.  It turned everything upside down.  Bernadette's experience was not that much different than ours is today.  We might not have an apparition, but we face the same problems.  

 

Her aunts convinced Mrs. Soubirous to allow Bernadette to go to the next apparitions.  They accompanied Bernadette to the Grotto, protecting her from the crowd hemming her in.  All of a sudden, everyone wanted to touch Bernadette, a little poor girl, and to give her items to give the "beautiful lady".

 

 

We invite you to come into the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine and visit the "beautiful lady." 

 

 

 

St. Michael the Archangel prayer

When you need some protection, say the St. Michael the Archangel prayer:

"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.  Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou o prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen"


Remember to keep the holy souls in your prayers, especially at Mass.

September 2015 - Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine story - 2

We pick up our story when Bernadette, her sister, and a friend were looking for firewood.  Bernadette waded across the river and was astounded to see a "beautiful lady" in the Grotto. 

Her first reaction was fear, so she reached into her pocket to find her rosary. 
What is our first reaction to a fearful situation? 

Bernadette said she could not move.  That it wasn't until the beautiful lady began praying on her rosary that she, Bernadette, could take out her rosary and say it with her.

So the First Encounter with the beautiful lady was in prayer.
What is our first encounter with the Lord and his Mother?  Isn't the definition of prayer 'conversation' with God? 

After they finished, the Lady asked Bernadette if she would be so kind and come back to the Grotto again.  Bernadette tells us that the Lady was kind and that she wanted to come back so as not to hurt the Lady's feelings. 

Imagine that!  Bernadette's intention was to come back and not to tell anyone.  How can we learn from Bernadette's behavior and attitude?