Our Lady of Lourdes

Next in our series of the lesser known apparitions of our lady, we move to France. Our youth got together to share their reflection on Our Lady of Salette.

The French Revolution of 1799  was a period of radical political and societal change. The church was stripped of its power, people were moving away from their faith.  

Fewer and fewer people were attending mass and the sacraments were neglected , cursing, immorality, greed and self indulgence  had taken over praying and sacrifice. It was in this period that Our Lady appeared to two children Maximin Giraud age 11 and Melanie Calvat age 14  in the small mountain village of La Salcette in the southeast of France. Melanie was a very timid, innocent and a withdrawn child, while Maximin was a simple yet playful young lad.  Our Lady appeared to them as they were tending their sheep. 

Melanie saw a beautiful light shining more beautifully than the sun with Maximin by her side they more closer and they saw, In the dazzling light a woman seated on a large stone, her elbows resting on her knees and her face buried in her hands, she was bent over as if her sorrows were too heavy to bear. She wore a headdress topped by a lucent crown with a band of roses, a dress with beams of light, and slippers edged with roses.  Around her neck hung a golden crucifix: on one end of the cross beam was a hammer and nails, and on the other, a pincher.  Over her shoulders was a heavy chain.

 The message of Our Lady was harsh but she radiated love and compassion for the people.

 “If my people will not obey, I shall be forced to let go of the hand of my Son.  It is so heavy, and weighs me down so much that I can no longer hold it.  How long I have  suffered for you!  If I want my Son not to abandon you, I am obliged to plead with Him constantly.  But you take not the least notice of that.” 

She reminds us that her sacrifice can never be compensated ,  No matter how well you pray in the future, no matter how well you act, you will never be able to make up to me the pain I have endured for your sake.

Her message to the children echoes the commandments God gave Moses, which the people at them and some of us even today do not follow 

“I give you six days to work .  The seventh I have reserved for myself.  And no one will give it to me.  This it is which causes the weight of my Son’s arm to be crushing.  The cart drivers cannot swear without bringing in my Son’s name.  These are the two things which make my Son’s arms so heavy.”

All she asked the children is to say their prayers , “Ah, my children, it is very important to say them, at night and in the morning.  When you don’t have time, at least say an Our Father and a Hail Mary.  And when you can, say more.”

The church and the government started investigating the story told by the children Once when investigating the site, someone broke off a piece of the rock on which Our Lady had sat; a spring of water emerged in a place that was dry except for when the snows were melting.  The spring flowed steadily and abundantly.  Some of the water was given to a woman suffering from a long-term serious illness; she drank a little of the water each day as she prayed a novena, and on the ninth day, she was cured.

More miraculous cures occurred.  The greatest miracle was truly spiritual: people started to attend Mass faithfully and confess regularly, they stopped working on Sundays, and they returned to living a pious and devotional life.  A real conversion of the people had taken place.

Our Lady was referred to as “Reconcilatrix of sinners.”  Great saints have been devoted to Our Lady of La Salette, including St. John Bosco, St. John Vianney, and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.

Today our society is similar to what it was during the French Revolution and thereafter , people are increasingly becoming materialistic, mass has often become secondary to pleasure, The sacrament of reconciliation for many is non existent , Every sentence in a foreign movie or even for many of us , uses the Lord’s name as a word of profanity. The world is in need of a conversion.

The message of this apparition is an appeal to  the conversion of all humanity to Christ. The “Beautiful Lady” of La Salette implores all people who would listen to “be reconciled to God.” This conversion requires daily prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist.   As we celebrate the birth of Our Mother on the 8^th of September , let us make our confession to truly show our devotion to her.

Let us turn to Our Lady of La Salette, and offer her Memorare:

Remember, Our Lady of La Salette, true mother of Sorrows, the tears you shed for us on Calvary.  Remember also the care you have taken to keep us faithful to Christ, your Son.  Having done so much for your children, you will not now abandon us.  Comforted by this consoling thought, we come to you pleading, despite our infidelities and ingratitude.  Virgin of Reconciliation, do not reject our prayers, but intercede for us, obtain for us the grace to love Jesus above all else.  May we console you by living a holy life and so come to share the eternal life Christ gained by His cross.  Amen.