Here is a great article from the Catholic News Agency, by Sr. Joan Roccosalvo, C.S.J., in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, whose feast is today.
I'm taking the lazy path today --- simply linking to two articles from the Catholic News Agency today. The first was my post about the statute of Fr. Junipero Serra, right before this.Some excerpts from Sr.'s article: (But, I recommend reading it entirely, also. Just click the link where it says, "Here is a great article . . ," above. )
Bernadette did not understand the meaning of the two words, Immaculate Conception, even though the Church had defined the dogma four years earlier in 1854. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of that lady, Our Lady of Lourdes.. . .
Since pilgrimages to Lourdes began in the last half of the nineteenth century, five thousand cures are known to have taken place. Fifty-eight have been declared miraculous by Church officials though unofficially as many as seventy have been reported.. . .
There is more information at the bottom of the article about Sr. She is quite the accomplished academic, not that I'm surprised, after reading her article. There is also an email address for her.
Mother: A Word with Multiple Levels of Meaning
We know that mothers may be described in different ways, especially by their children, for example in the film, “I Remember Mama.” Since mother is a primordial word, your mother and my mother participate in the universal understanding of motherhood.
What of the Mother of God? From the early Church, she is a constant and ubiquitous presence in liturgical worship and in devotional prayer. In the Liturgy of the Hours there is a classical prayer available for every major Hour that venerates the Mother of God.
I have been a little unwell, both mentally and physically. That is my excuse for the aforementioned laziness.
The mental unwellness is because of a tragic anniversary of February 11.
My brother committed suicide on February 11, 1983, when he was twenty years old. At the time, I had been away from Holy Mother Church. I did not realize that February 11 was the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
I don't exactly know what the physical unwellness is about? Hoping just the flu or something??
Please ask Our Lady for help. I get some very scary panic attacks sometimes.
I hope to get my health back soon. Health is the only true wealth we have in this world. That was one of the main things I learned from my late father.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
Oh ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfortess of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is with reference to Sr.'s mention of the 1948 movie, "I Remember Mama" starring Irene Dunn, Barbara Bel Geddes and Oscar Homolka. (I do not know how to put footnotes in this blog yet, sadly.)
Sr. Roccosalvo says:
We know that mothers may be described in different ways, especially by their children, for example in the film, “I Remember Mama.” Since mother is a primordial word, your mother and my mother participate in the universal understanding of motherhood.
At first, I was just going to mention that I never saw the 1948 movie, because I was born a few weeks before it was released. I just intended to mention that I very well remember the early TV show, though, and loved it so much. I just wanted to watch TV all the time. In those days, TV was only on for a few hours per day.
I rarely saw my mom. She was out working or hanging out with a guy who later became her second husband. She and my dad were already divorced. I stayed at the home of my grandma, great uncle, one or two aunts (--- one traveled back and forth to Philly---), step-grandpa and great-grandpa ( my mom's grandpa.) My mom and I both technically lived in a room there, but she was rarely in that room.
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| My mom never liked mushy cards or sticky sentimentalism. |
My baptismal date was March 8, 1948.
My mom died on March 9, 2012. That was four months after she turned 84 in November. I usually sent her a funny card for her birthday, because she did not appreciate those mushy ones.
She told me she kept it beside her bed so that she could get a laugh each day. I don't remember what it said, but it always took a long time to pick out a card for her. It had to be actually wtty and intelligent and surprising or she would not enjoy it.
