11 Feb –Memorial for Our Lady Of Lourdes; World Day of Prayer for the Sick
Today is an optional memorial for Our Lady of Lourdes. The apparitions concerned began on Feb 11, 1858, when St. Bernadette Soubirous, then a 14-year-old peasant girl from Lourdes admitted, when questioned by her mother, that she had seen a ‘lady’ in the cave of Massabielle, about a mile from the town, while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. Similar appearances of the ‘lady’ took place on 17 further occasions that year. Most Catholics believe that the ‘lady’ concerned is the Virgin Mary.
It was on the ninth appearance on Feb 25 that Bernadette was told by the Lady to dig under a rock and drink the water that she found. A day later, a spring began to flow from it. On Mar 1, the 12th appearance, Catherine Latapie reported that she bathed her paralyzed arm in the spring and instantaneously regained full movement. This was the first of the scientifically unattributable events to take place.
On the 13th appearance on Mar 2, the Lady commanded Bernadette to tell the priests to “come here in procession and to build a chapel here”. The priests would not do so until they knew who the Lady was. On the 16th appearance on Mar 25, the Lady, with her arms down and eyes raised to heaven, folded her hands over her breast and said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
To ensure claims of cures were examined properly and to protect the town from fradulent claims of miracles, the Lourdes Medical Bureau was established. About 7,000 people have sought to have their case confirmed as a ‘miracle’, of which only 68 have been declared a scientifically inexplicable ‘miracle’ by both the Bureau and the Catholic Church.
Because the apparitions are private revelation, and not public revelation, Roman Catholics are not required to believe them, nor does it add any additional material to the truths of the Catholic Church as expressed in public revelation. In Roman Catholic belief, God chooses whom He wants cured, and whom He does not, and by what means. Bernadette said, “One must have faith and pray; the water will have no virtue without faith.”
- Wikipedia
Gen 1:20-2:4
Mk 7:1-13
“This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me…”
In today’s Gospel passage, two aspects regarding the Pharisees and the scribes caught my attention. Firstly, Jesus labelled them as hypocrites because they merely paid lip service to Him. Secondly, they were criticised for rigidly following the tradition of the elders in observing the law.
It is often tempting to judge the Pharisees and the scribes for their hypocrisy, as they focused more on appearances and following rules rather than understanding the essence of the law — their concern was with doing things right instead of doing the right thing.
I would like to think, “Thank God I am not like them” — but upon reflection, I realise that I share quite a few similarities with them. At the start of every liturgical year, I habitually make a list of spiritual resolutions – commitments that I want to take on, to grow spiritually closer to God. But oftentimes, I find myself ‘recycling’ some (if not most) of the resolutions from the past year, and from the year before that, because I was just not as committed to doing them as I was with writing them down. This realisation leads me to acknowledge that, like the Pharisees, I may also be guilty of offering lip service to the Lord — I tell him that he’s the centre of my life, while my actions speak otherwise.
The second thing that struck me today is that the Pharisees were following “the tradition of the elders” — to observe what was handed down to them. Why were they criticised instead of lauded for keeping the observances and doing what they were taught to do? Isn’t obedience a virtue?
At the heart of the matter, they were called hypocrites because they were doing things without heart.
While obedience is commendable, it becomes hollow when devoid of genuine devotion. Their actions lacked sincerity as they followed the letter of the law without embracing its spirit. How often do I fall into such behaviour as well, overly concerned with form and structure rather than substance — doing things in the ‘proper’ manner, instead of doing the right thing – making commitments without true dedication to fulfil them?
Ultimately, the core issue lies in honouring God with more than just words. It requires opening our hearts to Him and aligning ourselves with His will. May we, as brothers and sisters in faith, strive to cultivate open hearts, allowing our words and actions to flow from genuine devotion.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Esther Leet)
Prayer: Lord, please help me open my heart to You and be guided by Your wisdom so that I will do the right thing at every moment of each day. May my actions glorify You through all that I do.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for loving me despite my failings, and for revealing that You are at the heart of all that matters.
OXYGEN 
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