Lourdes 1858 - 2008

(Part 1 of 3)

 

                 The following is an article appearing on the French language web site of The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest: http://www.icrsp.org/Publications

archives.htm.

                 On February 11, 1858, one hundred and fifty years ago, the Holy Virgin Mary appeared for the first time in Lourdes.  On the occasion of this anniversary, and in preparation of our coming pilgrimage, we present to you a reflection on the message of the apparitions.

Part 1: The Immaculate Conception

                 The major element of these apparitions, only four years after the proclamation of the dogma by Pope Pius IX, is the manifestation of Mary in her Immaculate Conception - a progressive manifestation.  From the first apparition, she appears disconcertingly youthful.  She has the appearance of a very young girl, “of my size”, “maybe smaller than me” said St. Bernadette.  Her youth was and remained a disconcerting fact for many.  The secret of this appearance would be unveiled by the last word of the Virgin, March 25, the day of the Annunciation, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”  The apparition of Lourdes is the apparition of the immaculate Virgin, young and beautiful because she is pure, more pure than the angels and seraphim themselves.

                 In violent contrast to the Virgin without stain, appears sin.  During the course of the fourth apparition, the demon, the father of sin, shows himself.  He recognizes she who crushed his head; he screams at St. Bernadette from the edge of the Gave, “Save yourself!  Save yourself!”  With one look, the Immaculate derails him.  On March 3, she does not appear because of the presence of sinners whose attitudes were particularly displeasing to her.  She waits until they have gone before calling Bernadette back to the Grotto.  In all of this, Mary shows herself as the anti-sin.  However, if she is the enemy of sin, she is the friend of sinners, not inasmuch as they are attached to their faults or glorify themselves, but insofar as they are overcome by the physical and moral pain that follows sin.  She approaches this world, which was, already in her own time, heading for a return to paganism.  She calls the world to conversion and proposes to it a complete means to overcome sin.

[Translated by Marie St.Lezin]

Juventutem

Traditional Liturgy for World Youth Day

The Institute of Christ the King is happy to announce the formation of a Juventutem-USA group of young traditionalist Catholics who will join with many more from other countries coming to Australia for World Youth Day 2008. The Juventutem group has Holy Mass exclusively in the extraordinary, or tradiitonal, form of the Latin Rite. For more information, contact info@juventutemusa.org.

Catechism Study Group

Santa Clara/San Jose

The Catechism Study Group meets with Fr. Wiener the first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, April 2  at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Roseanne Sullivan:

                 410 North 17th Street

                 San Jose, CA 95112

We follow the same study outline used by the Oakland class.  If you plan to attend, need a study outline, or have questions, please email roseannesullivan@sbcglobal.net or call 408 885-1740.