Lourdes News #37 APRIL 2019 • the JOURNAL of GRACES
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Lourdes News #37 APRIL 2019 • www.lourdes-france.org THE JOURNAL OF GRACES Editorial Ps 34, 15 Heart to Heart "Seek peace and pursue it" with Jesus, 17-19th May, 61st International Military Pilgrimage another Jesus BY FATHER ANDRÉ CABES, Since 1958, the date of the first International Military Pilgrimage RECTOR OF SANCTUARY in Lourdes, the military have been loyally attending this great and This was how unique international event in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Bernadette de- scribed what As Pope Francis writes in his she experienced message for the 52nd Wor- during her first © SNDL/Pierre VINCENT " communion on 3rd ld Day of Peace: Offering June 1858. She was prepared peace is at the heart of the by Mary, who knew how to mission of the disciples of cultivate her capacity for love Christ." This theme again and prayer. Lourdes is noth- illustrates the triptych: fra- ing other than communion of ternity, peace, hope. souls, drawn to the source of the Gospel. Eucharistic mira- Peace, a gift from God cles, like the healing of Sister In the scriptures, peace is Bernadette*, occur in the grace the gift of God to men. Even of each person’s encounter today, this beautiful gift is in with their brothers and sisters, our hands. There is no per- and with their God. This is the fect peace, but we all have miracle of a new humanity © SNDL/DURAND that our world so badly needs. the freedom to advance it. The Body of Christ, the bod- Peace for others and with nue to grow. Let us be Inner Peace ies of the sick, as we discover creation witnesses of hope and dis- with emotion in the new film The question of forgive- Peace at all levels requires seminators of peace in our Lourdes: even through suf- ness requested, implored, the restoration of dialogue. daily lives. We wish you a fering and death, receive the received from others and For Pope Francis, peace is wonderful and holy pilgri- miracle of Life. from God in the context of not gentle but energetic. It mage. the sacrament of reconcilia- *Editor’s note: Sister Bernadette Moriau, is embodied in our abrupt Arnault Berrone, chaplain 70th miraculous healing in Lourdes tion is central. Peace is the physical world where des- and director of the IMP recognised on 11th February 2018. fruit of justice and charity. peration and despair conti- SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES www.lourdes-france.org 1 avenue Mgr Théas / 65108 Lourdes cedex-FRANCE Te l. +33 (0)5 62 42 78 78 THE EUCHARIST AT THE HEART OF THE SANCTUARY Pages coordinated by Joel Luzenko At the beginning of 1858, before the Apparitions, Bernadette lived in Bartrès. Driven by the desire to make her first communion, she decided to return to Lourdes. And a few days later, she would be honoured to experience the first of 18 Apparitions. And finally, on 3rd June 1858, Bernadette would make her First Holy Communion. Reading about these events reiterates the central place of the Eucharist [1] in the pilgrimage. Bernadette and the Eucharist If little Bernadette Soubir- prepare for my First Holy on the Message of Lourdes munion, on 3rd June 1858, ous was not, according to Communion." On 17th Jan- explain that the Virgin Mary she was asked, "What were historians, "a particularly uary 1858, a few days be- was in a way Bernadette’s you most happy about: pious child", she was deeply fore the first Apparition, she catechist in preparing her your first communion or the marked by her desire to re- left Bartrès, alone and on for her first communion. Apparitions?" Bernadette ceive Jesus. While living with foot, explaining, "The priest This is illustrated by the mo- responded with her usual her former nanny in the vil- wants me to make my first saic in the choir of the Ro- simplicity, "These two things lage of Bartrès, she said, communion and if I return sary Basilica with the words, go together but cannot © SNDL/LACAZE "I want to come back to to Lourdes, I will be able to "Through Mary, to Jesus." be compared ... I was very Lourdes to go to class and do it." Some commentators The day after her first com- happy about both." Pilgrims and the Eucharist The sacrament [2] of the through the loudspea- At the blessing of the Eucharist is at the centre kers in the Sanctuary. This sick with the Blessed of the pilgrimage process marks the start of the Eu- Sacrament, the doctors in Lourdes. Eucharistic charistic procession, from present that day follow worship comes especially the prairie in front of the the priest around the to the fore at two particular Grotto. Sick pilgrims, the basilica. Why? This is a moments: the international hospitality and visitors are tradition that has been masses and the daily Eu- invited to walk to the Basi- maintained in Lourdes charistic procession. bol of the universal Church lica of St. Pius X; the priest for over a hundred years. At the end of gathered in Lourdes. It is holding the monstrance [3] > International Mass the 19th century, many called «international» be- is celebrated every Wed- completes the procession. healings took place cause songs and readings nesday and Sunday mor- There follows, in the huge during the blessing are proclaimed in several ning in the underground underground basilica, a of the sick. To avoid languages. deceit, doctors were Basilica of St. Pius X. For time of silence and adora- invited to observe and all pilgrimages present, it > Eucharistic procession tion of the Blessed Sacra- ment [4], followed by the verify the authenticity offers a collective Eucha- every day, at 5 pm, the or- of these cures. ristic celebration, as a sym- gan and trumpet resound blessing of the sick. Prayer of Saint Bernadette "Grow, Jesus, grow in me, in my heart, in my mind, my imagination, my senses, by your modesty, your purity, your humility, your zeal, your love. Grow with your grace, your light, your peace. Grow despite my resistance, my pride; grow to the fullness of the perfect man, grow as in Nazareth before God and men, for the glory of your Father. Amen." UNDERSTANDING THE MASS WELCOMING LITURGY OF THE WORD st • Welcome • 1 reading (often a passage from the Old Testament) • Psalm • Forgiveness nd • Glory to God • 2 reading (often a letter or an extract from the acts of the apostles) Lourdes• Gospel News (often - 2 followed by a homily) 4 CATECHESES TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BERNADETTE The collection of catecheses launched by Father André Cabes, Rector, in 2017, is enriched this year with 4 new docu- ments, to help us experience the mes- sage of Lourdes in 2019, the Bernadette Year. In 2019, the Sanctuary of Lourdes is encouraging pilgrims to follow in the footsteps of Bernadette. We are, in- deed, in a jubilee year. Bernadette was born on 7th January 1844, and was baptised on 9th January, 175 years ago. She passed into the light of Heaven on 16th April 1879, just 140 years ago. Starting with the demonstration of a beautiful sign of the Cross, Bernadette’s meeting with the Lady of Massabielle teaches us the secret of the joy of believing. In this way, we experience life in the Church. Bernadette had to ask the priests to build a chapel, and to start processions. A new humanity, a people made up of the little ones and the poor, heads for the family home that is the Sanctuary of Lourdes. Yes, happy are the poor, you delight in the hap- piness of Jesus, you live in the happiness of God! This is the path that we are suggesting in these catecheses, our journey with Bernadette, the way of the Gospel and of true life. Priests in the service of the Eucharist The community of chap- experience the Eucharist gives himself to us. Go to symbolic gestures must lains of Lourdes is com- during your pilgrimage: the spring means: go to Je- lead us to the spiritual re- posed of about thirty "The Virgin Mary ad- sus. Drink at the spring: re- ality: the Mass. Jesus is priests. Their mission of dressed Bernadette asking ceive the gift of God. Wash present, he gives himself welcoming pilgrims is re- her to go to the spring to yourself at the spring: God to us, and we receive him flected particularly in the drink and to wash there. forgives all sins. All this is in the Eucharist. If we are celebration of the sacra- Even though the spring is the Eucharist. A pilgrimage in communion with him, it ments of the Eucharist and real, and it still flows today, In Lourdes involves the ges- is because our sins are for- penance (confession). One Mary uses a symbolic lan- ture of water at the taps, given. That’s why it’s good of them, Don Anne-Guil- guage. The reality behind drinking the water and to have gone to confes- laume Vernaeckt, explains these words and behind washing your hands and sion before attending the why it is so important to the spring is Jesus who face with water, but these mass." A short glossary of the Eucharist [1] Eucharist means "thanksgiving" in Greek. Among Christians, and more specifically among Catholics, the Eucharist is the celebration of the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ who is truly present in the form of bread and wine. [2] Sacraments: concerning the sacraments, the Church speaks of "signs" which are gestures by which Jesus acts in our souls by giving them his grace in a special way.