The Blessed Virgin Mary

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"When I have appeared for the final time to the last visionary of Medjugorje, I will no longer come in apparition to earth again, because it will no longer be necessary. "(Our Lady of Medjugorje)

"As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful… Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able to still save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."The Blessed Virgin Mary to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa , Akita, Japan)

"Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword." — Pope Benedict XVI - The Message of Fatima, Theological Commentary

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

February 2 - 10, Feast Day: February 11

Prayer

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy.By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request. Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory.Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.   

 

DAY ONE

O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, virgin and mother, queen of heaven, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word and in virtue of this title preserved from original sin, we kneel before you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and pray with childlike trust in you that as we contemplate your glorious appearance at Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our present petition and secure for us a favorable answer to the request for which we are making this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.    

 

DAY TWO

 Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes , saying to the child Saint Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception!” O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the burning love of your pure heart Let them be consumed with love for Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your glorious eternity. O dispenser of His graces here below, take into your keeping and present to your Divine Son the petition for which we are making this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.   

 

DAY THREE

 “You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original sin.” O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that lovely day, upon a rough rock in Lourdes you spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain broke from the plain earth and miracles happened and the great shrine of Lourdes began, so now I beseech you to hear our fervent prayer and do, we beseech you, grant us the petition we now so earnestly seek. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.     

 

DAY FOUR

O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your wayward, erring children, join our unworthy prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of the angels and saints and your own-the One, Holy, and Undivided Trinity may be glorified in heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as you looked down with love and mercy upon Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in the grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with love and mercy upon us. From the abundance of graces granted you by your Divine Son, sweet Mother of God, give to each of us all that your motherly heart sees we need and at this moment look with special favor on the grace we seek in this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.  

 

DAY FIVE

O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our mother, from the heights of your dignity look down mercifully upon us while we, full of confidence in your unbounded goodness and confident that your Divine Son will look favorably upon any request you make of Him in our behalf, we beseech you to come to our aid and secure for us the favor we seek in this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.    

 

DAY SIX

O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the gracious Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare and for the special favor we so earnestly seek in this novena. (make your request) O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet, look with compassion upon us today as you did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes .O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.  

 

DAY SEVEN

O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we humbly beseech you that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with favor upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede with him for us that the favor we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.    

 

DAY EIGHT

O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes ! And as Bernadette knelt at your feet and the miraculous spring burst forth and as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favor we seek in this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.  

Our Lady of Lourdes , pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.     

 

DAY NINE

 O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercessionin obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time. (make your request) We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us. 

 

 

Our Lady of Lourdes

Click the picture of Our Lady of Lourdes and be taken to the Grotto in France via webcam.

This is the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes, France. Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has authorized a plenary indulgence.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Mary to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France, Pope Benedict XVI has granted the opportunity for the faithful to earn a plenary indulgence. 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To mark the 150th anniversary of Mary's appearance to St. Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes, France, Pope Benedict XVI authorized a special indulgence to encourage renewed holiness.


Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence for taking part in any public or private devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, said U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with indulgences and matters of conscience.


As Christians strive to become more holy, they can look to Mary who "calls the faithful to her son and his sacrifice and to the love of the Father," said the cardinal, quoting from "Lumen Gentium," the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.


The Vatican published the cardinal's statement announcing the indulgence and outlining the requirements for receiving it Dec. 5.


An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment due for sins committed. A plenary indulgence is the remission of all punishment.


Cardinal Stafford said the indulgence can also be applied to the souls of the faithful in purgatory.


Catholics can receive the indulgence during two time frames.


Pilgrims visiting the Massabielle grotto, where Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, can receive the indulgence during the Lourdes jubilee year, which runs from Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, until Dec. 8, 2008.


Pilgrims who visit any public sanctuary, shrine or other worthy place dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes may receive the indulgence Feb. 2 - 11. Feb. 2 is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Feb. 11 is the day the first of 18 apparitions occurred and is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Cardinal Stafford said that to obtain the special indulgence one must fulfill the normal requirements set by the church for all plenary indulgences; these include the person going to confession within a reasonably short period of time, receiving the Eucharist and praying for the intentions of the pope, all in a spirit of total detachment from the attraction of sin.


Those who make a pilgrimage to Lourdes must visit the following sites, preferably in this order:


-- The parish where St. Bernadette was baptized.


-- The Soubirous family home.


-- The Massabielle grotto.


-- The chapel where St. Bernadette received her first Communion.


At each location the faithful should end their meditation by praying the Lord's Prayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer to Mary.


Those visiting a holy place dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in another part of the world Feb. 2-11 also should pray the Lord's Prayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer to Mary.


Catholics who cannot visit Lourdes or join a communal service dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes because of illness or other serious reason could still earn the indulgence "in their own home or wherever they are" Feb. 2-11, Cardinal Stafford said.

 

What is an indulgence? An indulgence is a remission, a taking away, of all the temporal punishment due to sin. Your sin is forgiven in confession, but there are still after-effects due before one can come into the kingdom of God. That time is what we call Purgatory.

We have to be purified before we can enjoy the beatific vision of God. For example: if you’re a kid and play baseball and break a window, you go to the person and say you’re sorry and you’re forgiven. But saying you’re sorry doesn’t fix it. A payment is required for the repair to be done to the window. Your parents may pay initially, but you pay them back to fulfill the debt.

Explain what the two types of indulgences are.

There is a plenary indulgence, which remits all temporal punishment due to sin. There is also a partial indulgence which only takes away part of the temporal punishment.

Cardinal J. Francis Stafford heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican office in charge of indulgences. Explain a little about his office.

His office, the Apostolic Penitentiary, is the tribunal related to mercy and the absolution of sin. The keys of Peter, the Church’s authority to forgive and retain sins, has to always be in force. There are always penances and such that have to be imposed. The grace of forgiveness always has to be there for the sinner. An indulgence consists of works to do and/or prayers to say.

What are the normal conditions a person needs to fulfill to acquire an indulgence?

For a plenary indulgence, one has to be detached from all kinds of sin, not only mortal but also venial — that’s the hardest requirement to attain. But a good sacramental confession, which is a requirement, is the way to help with that. One also needs to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. The other condition is that the person recites the prescribed prayers — an Our Father and a Nicene Creed or an Apostles Creed — for the intentions of the Holy Father. For the Lourdes anniversary indulgence the faithful are to also recite a Marian prayer — the Hail Mary or the Memorare or in this case a person may recite the special Jubilee Prayer. One also needs to do the work to which the indulgence is attached. For this particular indulgence, to visit either the holy sites related to the story of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, or the designated local pilgrimage sites here in the United States. 

The homebound may meditate at home before an image of Mary, thus completing a “spiritual” pilgrimage. For a partial indulgence, again one should be detached from all sin and one can do something as simple as recite a pious aspiration, like “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you,” or “Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.” Prayers such as the Morning Offering or the Sign of the Cross can earn an indulgence. We should strive each day for the indulgence because we want to get to heaven faster. Though Purgatory is on the way to heaven, it’s not a place we should want to be spending the rest of our days. We want to be with God [and our loved ones] much faster and enjoy praising and adoring Him for the rest of eternity. If we choose to, we can even apply our indulgences to the souls in Purgatory.  

Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA (Click Icon)

World Apostolate of Fatima Blue Army Shrine Washington, NJ (Click picture)

Our Lady of the Rosary Library (Traditional Catholic resources - click picture)

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Click picture)

Our Lady of Medjugorje USA (Click picture)

Our Lady of Garabandal