February
4, 2018 – 5th, (Year B)
●● Job 9:1-4, 6-7 ●● Psalm 147 ●● 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23 ●● Mark
1:29-39
●●
Convincing.
Consistent.
[__01__] When I
was about 20 years old - twenty – my
friend’s younger brother – who was about 10 at the time, was eager to share an
incident in which someone had been rescued from a car accident. In his account
of the story, he told us that a “guy” rescued someone from a car accident.
We asked about this heroic individual.
Who was this guy – and specifically – how old was he? Was a boy – a kid like
you ….or a grown up.
Not knowing how to answer this he said
– well, he was like you. Meaning at that time we were neither children nor – in
his estimation – fully grown up. Pretty accurate.
[__02__] When a child or young person reports an
incident we often want to check it out , verify the details, find out what is
true, talk to the other parents (grown-ups), teacher, coach …
What really happened?
[__03__] As we observe the feast day of Our Lady of
Lourdes, we recall an incident – and an incident report – from a young
person. This is the apparition /
appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is depicted in the stone tile icon
above our altar.
We observe that Bernadette –
Bernadette of Soubirous – was Grotto
[__04__] [[ In a cave of Massabielle (a mile
outside of town), and several hundred miles
from city of Paris – in southwestern France -- Bernadette Soubirous – whom we
know as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes – as a 14 year old peasant girl encountered
the Blessed Virgin Mary on February 11, 1858.
She was out for her regular work of
gathering firewood, an appropriate task in a cold February.
While on her route, Bernadette went
a bit out of the way to encounter this vision described by Bernadette as a
“beautiful lady”.
This vision continued in 18
apparitions. Bernadette asked about the identity of the lady and was told – and
repeated the words in her own dialect –
__Que
soy L’Immaculado concepciou, I am the Immaculate Conception ___
Which is rendered/translated in
French and inscribed in our Mosaic of
Lourdes above our altar as …”Je suis L’immaculee concepcion”.
I am the Immaculate Conception.
]]
[__05__] After
this incident, the 14 year old Bernadette returns to tell others that she saw a
beautiful lady and eventually that this beautiful lady told her to tell the
priests, to build a chapel there.
This chapel would later become the
Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes which
welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
We celebrate this Mass in honor of Our
Lady of Lourdes and consider how we are called to live lives that are both
CONVINCING …and CONSISTENT.
[__06__] 1st
– CONVINCING.
Was
Bernadette convincing anyone in the early going after the incident? Not so
much.
It can be frustrating for any of us to
try to relate an experience which another person either does not understand –
or acknowledge – certain key details.
We may – at times – go about trying to
convince other people of our opinion, style, experience. We may judge our
friends or acquaintances based on whether they “get us” or “get our sense of
humor”. In other words, have I convinced
them.
[__07__] Similarly,
we gravitated toward friends and acquaintances with whom we share certain
insights, view. We are convinced that they are correct, logical and can be
trusted.
[__08__] Bernadette of Soubirous – in 1858 – was not
very convincing, to anyone in her family, neighborhood, vicinity, archdiocese, et cetera, et cetera.
So, she did not seem reliable, just a
kid who said she saw a beautiful lady. And, on top of this, when she was asked
– for more detail – the name, Bernadette reported that the lady said, “I am the
Immaculate Conception”
[__09__] But, it merited investigation and, over time
– Bernadette was a reputable witness and Lourdes has been a place of miraculous
healings.
[__10__] 2nd
CONSISTENCY.
CONSISTENT.
Bernadette was convincing because she
was consistent.
What enables you and I to be authentic
witnesses to the intercession of our Blessed Mother, to the Resurrection of our
Lord, to the Gospel, is our consistency.
We may, at times, feel frustrated
because we are not able to convince or persuade others, or obtain evidence of
such persuasion.
Yet,
we are called to be disciples, to discipline each day, in our consistent –
prayer – talk – conversation with Jesus each day, we are called first to become
believers – convinced – ourselves of his mercy, of his live, of his forgiveness
and pardon for ourselves.
In this regard, we gain consistency,
we establish a pattern, and we can describe him – sketch him – make an image of
Christ and the Gospel – to others by what we say and do.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray
for Us! [__fin__]
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