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April 29, 2015
April 29, 2015
Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena
Today I leave on pilgrimage to Lourdes – – – and I take your intentions with me to the renowned grotto of miracles.
You know what happened in 1858 at this tiny town, on the River Gave, in the Pyrenees Mountains of Southwestern France?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, appeared in a grotto to Bernadette Soubirous. She asked that people come to that sacred place to pray with her to Jesus, her divine son, to renew their faith, to ask the mercy of God, and to be healed in soul, mind, and body.
I’ve accepted that invitation from Our Blessed Mother about half-dozen times, as have millions of others. This time, I’ll be in good company, with four-hundred other pilgrims, including sixty sick people, organized by our Knights and Dames of Malta to join thousands of others at that remarkable shrine, there to usher in the month of May, classically dedicated to Our Lady.
I sit before that grotto a lot, and let Mary know of the many “tumors” in my soul, heart, and body.
But, as your pastor, I cannot and will not forget you there . . . If you sense a “grace” the next five days, know where it’s coming from!
Ave Maria! To Jesus, through Mary!