2022-23 February #2: Our Lady of Lourdes
“Go to the spring, drink of it and wash yourself there.”
-Our Lady to St. Bernadette
Tiny Treasures
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Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the title given to Mary when she appeared in Lourdes, France. On February 11, 1858, she appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. St. Bernadette described the apparition as a bright light and within the bright light, a beautiful lady dressed in white. The lady appeared in a grotto at the foot of a mountain and as she grew nearer to her, she saw that the lady had yellow roses at her feet and was holding a rosary.
She appeared several times to St. Bernadette. On February 25th, the lady told her to dig in the dirt and drink the water that would come from her digging. By the next day the water was flowing from the place where she had dug and on March 1st, a woman was cured of paralysis after drinking from the spring. The Lourdes Spring has cured countless people, but the church officially recognizes 69 cures.
On March 25th, the Blessed Virgin Mary identified herself as the Immaculate Conception (CCC 490, 491). St. Bernadette was confused by this title possibly because she had missed so much schooling because of chronic asthma or that the Catholic church had just began the observance of this feast with the Papal encyclical by Pope Pius IX, when he formally defined the dogma, INEFFABILIS DEUS on December 8, 1854.
Our Lady of Lourdes’ message is that God comes to tell us that He loves us. He loves us as we are with all of our successes and all our wounds. Mary asked St. Bernadette to do penances and pray for sinners.
There is a chapel built on the site of the holy apparitions and many people make pilgrimages there to find cures and to pray to Our Lady of Lourdes for her holy intervention.
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Works of Mercy
The Corporal Works of Mercy are:
- Feed the hungry.
- Give drink to the thirsty.
- Clothe the naked.
- Visit the imprisoned.
- Shelter the homeless.
- Visit the sick.
- Bury the dead.
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Works of Mercy
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
- To instruct the ignorant.
- To counsel the doubtful.
- To admonish sinners.
- To bear wrongs patiently.
- To forgive offenses willingly.
- To comfort the afflicted.
- To pray for the living and the dead.
Talk with your littles about:
- Any spiritual or corporal works of mercy they have done in the past.
- Any that they think they could do in the future.
- Have they seen anyone in their family or at school do a work of mercy?
St. Bernadette
Saint Bernadette was born in France in 1844. She suffered from chronic asthma and was unable to read or write. On February 11, 1858, 14-year-old Bernadette was collecting firewood by a stream when suddenly there was a rush of wind. In a nearby grotto appeared a woman who would appear to her 18 times over several weeks. The grotto was called the “pigs’ shelter” because that was where the pigs feeding in the area usually took shelter. Over the course of these apparitions, a spring of healing waters emerged from the ground and the woman requested that a chapel be built there. When Bernadette relayed the message, she suffered ridicule and opposition. Still, she persevered in her testimony. On March 25th the woman finally identified herself as the Immaculate Conception and a church was eventually constructed. Bernadette became a religious sister and died from illness in 1878. Her body is incorruptible. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on December 8, 1933. St. Bernadette is the patron saint of bodily illness, Lourdes, against poverty, shepherds and shepherdesses, and people ridiculed for their faith.
(source)
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Help St. Bernadette Find Our Lady of Lourdes in the Grotto:
Help your littles make their own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes by listening to her message: God Loves us in our successes and weaknesses, do penances and pray for sinners.
- Always give thanks to God in things that you can do well and things you can’t do well.
- sports, coloring, reading, or knowing letters, counting.
- Be patient with others/love others that do not have the same gift as you (see above list to start a group discussion).
- Pray for people who hurt you or made you feel sad.
- Pray for others to know and love Jesus.
- Offer any of your sufferings as a sacrifice for sinners (people who have made bad choices) or people who do not know or love Jesus.
- From previous booklet-The Presentation of Our Lord
Social/Emotional Learning
Classroom/Home Work of Mercy Project:
Pick a work of mercy from the spiritual or corporal works of mercy lists above and do this as a classroom or home project.
Some ideas could be:
Corporal Works of Mercy
- Collect baby clothes and take them to a Pregnancy Resource Center near you.
- Collect food to take to a homeless shelter or food pantry.
- Give blankets to the homeless.
- Make dinner or a treat for an elderly or sick friend.
- Write a letter to a grandparent or someone who doesn’t have many visitors.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
- Make a spiritual prayer bouquet for a sick friend or someone who needs prayers
- This might be fun to make out of pipe cleaners and construction paper to resemble flowers.
- Remind or help others to make decisions, especially in trying to do God’s Will.
- Forgive people who have hurt you.
- Prayer for grandparents or friends who have died.
Days to Watch for
- Feb 11 – Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
Extras
Our featured word for this booklet to indicate the page numbers is WORK. We chose this because of our focus on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
Book +
Our Lady’s Wardrobe by Anthony DeStefano (Sophia Institute Press)
Over the centuries, Our Lady has visited the people of Earth many times. On each of these occasions she has dressed very differently. Our Lady’s Wardrobe tells the story of some of her most famous apparitions, highlighting the clothes she wore and the things she did. This book includes Our Lady’s apparition in Lourdes to St. Bernadette.
Works of Mercy Explained by Sylvia Vecchini
This illustrated guide explains the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Using examples from scripture, saints, and people of today, including Pope Francis, each section shows children how to practice the various works of mercy. They will learn how to develop a spirit of mercy toward family, friends, parish, and the wider community. Each section contains concrete examples of mercy in action and questions for individual reflection and group discussion. This book is intended for children to read who are between the ages of 8 and 12. This would be a great resource for parents and teachers to spark discussion with their littles.
Digital Resources
If you are a subscriber for the 2022-23 His Little Way booklets, visit our Subscribers page for access to your digital resources (including a digital version of all booklets)! Can’t remember your password? Email us!
Don’t forget to check out our Teacher’s Guide for more information on how to use your booklets in the classroom!
And in case you need it again… here’s our Prayer Table Starter Guide.
