Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lourdes (Agenzia Fides) – On Sunday, September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Holy Father Benedict XVI said Mass at 10am at the “Prairie,” on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes. “Here we are this morning at the feet of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, eager to learn from her alongside little Bernadette,” the Pope said at the beginning of his homily. Recalling the liturgy for the day, the Pope said that “by raising our eyes towards the Crucified one, we adore him who came to take upon himself the sin of the world and to give us eternal life.” He also pointed out that Mary “invites all people of good will, all those who suffer in heart or body, to raise their eyes towards the Cross of Jesus, so as to discover there the source of life, the source of salvation.”
“In order to welcome into our lives this glorious Cross, the celebration of the Jubilee of Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes urges us to embark upon a journey of faith and conversion. Today, Mary comes to meet us, so as to show us the way towards a renewal of life for our communities and for each one of us. By welcoming her Son, whom she presents to us, we are plunged into a living stream in which the faith can rediscover new vigor, in which the Church can be strengthened so as to proclaim the mystery of Christ ever more boldly. Jesus, born of Mary, is the Son of God, the sole Savior of all people, living and acting in his Church and in the world. The Church is sent everywhere in the world to proclaim this unique message and to invite people to receive it through an authentic conversion of heart. This mission, entrusted by Jesus to his disciples, receives here, on the occasion of this Jubilee, a breath of new life. After the example of the great evangelizers from your country, may the missionary spirit which animated so many men and women from France over the centuries, continue to be your pride and your commitment!”
Following the Jubilee Way, in the footsteps of Bernadette, we are reminded of the heart of the message of Lourdes: “On their spiritual journey, Christians too are called to render fruitful the grace of their Baptism, to nourish themselves with the Eucharist, to draw strength from prayer so as to bear witness and to express solidarity with all their fellow human beings.” The Holy Father then recalled that Mary, conceived without sin, “gave herself totally to God, and who received the privilege of giving human life to his eternal Son... By presenting herself in this way, in utter dependence upon God, Mary expresses in reality an attitude of total freedom, based upon the full recognition of her true dignity. This privilege concerns us too, for it discloses to us our own dignity as men and women, admittedly marked by sin, but saved in hope, a hope which allows us to face our daily life. This is the path which Mary opens up for man. To give oneself fully to God is to find the path of true freedom.”
The Holy Father mentioned that “the primary purpose of the shrine at Lourdes is to be a place of encounter with God in prayer and a place of service to our brothers and sisters, notably through the welcome given to the sick, the poor and all who suffer. In this place, Mary comes to us as a mother, always open to the needs of her children.” The Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us of the central role that prayer should play in the life of the Christian, as it is “indispensable if we are to receive Christ’s power”... “To allow oneself to become absorbed by activity runs the risk of depriving prayer of its specifically Christian character and its true efficacy.”
Addressing the youth, always present in Lourdes at the service of the sick and the pilgrims, the Pope told them: “Do not allow yourselves to be discouraged by difficulties!... do not be afraid to say yes to the Lord’s summons when he invites you to walk in his footsteps. Respond generously to the Lord! Only he can fulfil the deepest aspirations of your heart... May Mary help those who are called to marriage to discover the beauty of a genuine and profound love, lived as a reciprocal and faithful gift! To those among you whom he calls to follow him in the priesthood or the religious life, I would like to reiterate all the joy that is to be had through giving one’s life totally for the service of God and others. May Christian families and communities be places where solid vocations can come to birth and grow, for the service of the Church and the world!”
The Pope concluded his homily by invoking Mary as the “Star of Hope.” “On the paths of our lives, so often shrouded in darkness, she is a beacon of hope who enlightens us and gives direction to our journey... And she invites us to live like her in invincible hope, refusing to believe those who claim that we are trapped in the fatal power of destiny.”
After the Mass, the Holy Father Benedict XVI led the recitation of the Angelus. Beforehand, he gave a brief address and mentioned that “every day, praying the Angelus gives us the opportunity to meditate for a few moments, in the midst of all our activities, on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. At noon, when the first hours of the day are already beginning to weigh us down with fatigue, our availability and our generosity are renewed by the contemplation of Mary’s ‘yes’.” The privilege of her Immaculate Conception “does not distance her from us, but on the contrary, it brings her closer... Mary’s purity makes her infinitely close to our hearts, attentive to each of us and desirous of our true good... Before Mary, by virtue of her very purity, man does not hesitate to reveal his weakness, to express his questions and his doubts, to formulate his most secret hopes and desires... Mary shows us the right way to come to the Lord. She teaches us to approach him in truth and simplicity. Thanks to her, we discover that the Christian faith is not a burden: it is like a wing which enables us to fly higher, so as to take refuge in God’s embrace... as we are sons and daughters of Mary, we can profit from all the graces given to her; the incomparable dignity that came to her through her Immaculate Conception shines brightly over us, her children.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 17/9/2008)
