Saint Bernadette

St Bernadette died on the year 1879. Since then, her body remained incorrupt until today, through the works of God.

saint of lourdes saint of penance saint of poverty pray for us!

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl from Lourdes, France.

The first appearance of Our Lady to Bernadette was on Thursday, 11th of February 1858. Then on, Our Lady appeared to Bernadette on on February 14, 18-21, 23-25, 27, 28, March 1-4, 25, April 7, and July 16.

Our Lady requested for a chapel to be built in the site of the apparitions and when asked who the Lady was, she replied, "I am the Immaculate Conception", in Bernadette's native dialect.

Our Lady asked Bernadette to wash her face at the fountain but there was no fountain there, so Bernadette dug a hole in the ground, and with muddy water washed her face while people ridiculed her, however from there sprang the famous fountain of water that has healing attributes. Many sick people have bathed themselves in that water and there have been at least 64 reported miraculous healings. Bernadette said, "One must have faith and pray, the water will have no virtue without faith.". Therefore, most importantly, we need to have faith in our good Lord in order to have healing take place.

Millions of people from all over the world go to Lourdes yearly in the hope of obtaining help from the generous Mother of God.

Bernadette became a nun, she died when she was 35 and her body is still incorrupt.

Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman, Blessed by the Most High!
Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era,
We join in your song of praise,
To celebrate the Lord’s mercy,
To proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and the full liberation of humanity.

Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord,
Glorious Mother of Christ!
Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word,
Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word,
And to be docile to the voice of the Spirit,
Attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience
And to his manifestations in the events of history.

Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows, Mother of the living!
Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve,
Be our guide along the paths of the world.
Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ,
to stand with you before the innumerable crosses on
which your Son is still crucified.

Hail Mary, woman of faith, First of the disciples!
Virgin Mother of the Church,
help us always to account for the hope that is in us,
with trust in human goodness and the Father’s love.
Teach us to build up the world beginning from within: in the depths of silence and prayer,
in the joy of fraternal love, in the unique fruitfulness of the Cross.

Holy Mary, Mother of believers, Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

Amen.

This prayer was said during the Holy Father's August 15, 2004 visit to Lourdes, France. The Pope asked her among other things to "be our guide along the paths of the world."

Being in the Legion...

Being in the legion has enabled me to have a stronger relationship with Mother Mary and I believe that it is through her intercessions that she helps me to overcome my difficulties in life. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mother Mary for always being there for me. Also, I would like to thank God for giving us Mary to be our Mother.


-Br Clement-

LEGION HEROES --- Servant of God, Frank Duff

Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7th 1889, the eldest of seven children.

In 1913, Frank Duff joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and was greatly influenced by the spirit of the Society. As a member, he gradually came to have a great love for the poor and underprivileged in whom, as in everybody he met, Frank recognized and honored Christ.
In 1916, aged 27, Frank Duff published his first pamphlet "Can we be Saints?" In Frank expressed one of the strongest convictions of his life, namely, that all without exception area called to be saints and that through our Catholic faith we have available all the means necessary to attain this.

In 1917 Frank Duff came to know the Treatise of St. Louis Marie de Montfort on the True Devotion to Mary, a work which changed his life completely.

On September 7th, 1921 Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary. This is a lay apostolic organization at the service of the Church, under ecclesiastical guidance. Its twofold purpose is the spiritual development of its members and advancing the reign of Christ trough Our Lady.
The Legion, which is to be found in almost every country in the world, has nearly 3 million active members and many more auxiliary (praying) members.

In 1965 Pope Paul VI invited Frank Duff to attend the Second Vatican Council as a Lay Observer, an honor by which the Pope recognized and affirmed his enormous work for the lay apostolate.

On November 7th 1980, Frank Duff died and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin
In July 1996 the cause of his canonization was introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Desmond Connell.

Prayer : "God our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place of Mary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery. In his immense desire to share this insight with others and in filial dependence on Mary he formed her Legion to be a sign of her maternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her children in the Church's evangelizing work. We thank you, Father, for the graces conferred on him and for the benefits accruing to the Church from his courageous and shining faith. With confidence we beg you that through his intercession you grant the petition we lay before you ..... We ask too that if it be in accordance with your will, the holiness of his life may be acknowledged by the Church for the glory of Your Name, through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

The Brick

THE BRICK



A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.





As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"




The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop....." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."





Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.







A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:




"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.




Thought for the Day...



If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.




If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.





He sends you flowers every spring.



He sends you a sunrise every morning




Face it, friend -
He is crazy about you!




God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Read this line very slowly and let it sink in....

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.