THE WORD AND THE FEAST
February 11, 2023: Celebrating the Miracle of LourdesGenesis 3: 9-24; Mark 8: 1-10
The Compassion of the Lord does not leave a mistake with merely a punishment caused by the choice of the act itself, but accompanies humanity with a promise. The Lord promises a sinless one, who would bear the Saviour and the promise is personified in our Blessed Mother. The Fulfillment of this promise has been manifested in manifold ways - one such in the recent times (from 1858 - 165 years) is the Miracle of Lourdes!
Lourdes, came as a fulfillment. It was in just 4 years before, that is in 1854, that the Church had consolidated its centuries of experience regarding Mary and defined the truth: that Mary was conceived immaculate! Soon there was a confirmation of that proclaimed truth - Mary appears to a peasant girl in 1858, who knew no ABC literally, and knew not the ABC of the dogmatic teachings - but the message that the peasant girl gave surprised everyone, not just then but even today. Bernadette said, 'The Mother said, I am the Immaculate Conception!' That was a verification, a confirmation of the faith experiences just consolidated.
The Immaculate Conception - the one whom the Almighty willed from eternity! The Sinless One whose offspring shall smite the head of the eternal enemy of Truth. Today, the promise remains, it stands! The Lord shall smite all evil and lies! Mary is one of the greatest signs of hope given to us - our Blessed Mother who holds out to us Truth, the Truth of the Word who lives with us, the Truth of the shepherd who feeds us, the Truth of the One who loves us to the extent of giving up everything.
May our Blessed Mother keep us ever mindful that we are children of Promise!
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