SIMPLICITY---Saint Bernadette (
1844-1879 )
Saint Bernadette was a visionary
And later a nun
She was the daughter of Francois Soubirous-a miller
And the oldest of six children
They lived in extreme poverty
At the age of 14, in 1958,
She experienced 18 visions
Of the Blessed Mother
At the rock of Massabielle, Lourdes
The Virgin-herself-told
Bernadette
“I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION”
The Blessed Mother
Also told Bernadette to build a church
And to drink from a spring
At first---NO ONE believed her
Not even the church
But from that time
Until the present day
That spring
Produces 27,000 gallons of water a week
The POWER OF FAITH
The POWER OF SIMPLICITY
T he POWER OF---A BELIEVING HEART
As a child
Bernadette was an undersized youth
Who suffered from asthma
Her intellectual capacity was adequate---
YET SIMPLE
And some believed her to be
stupid
Yet her veracity and courage
Were beyond dispute
She stuck to her story
Despite investigation
By both the clergy and state officials
She remained UNSHAKEN
SIMPLICITY-FAITH-BELIEF
The power of a believing heart
Because she was a subject
Of publicity and curiosity
She became a nun
And remained one for the rest of her life
She became cut off from Lourdes
And was NOT present
At the dedication of the Basilica
The only “extraordinary” moments
Of her life
Were those six months
In which she had18 visions
Of the Blessed Mother
We MUST NEVER FORGET
That God works through the ORDINARY
God works through THOSE WITH FAITH
God is NOT found in those
With great great minds
But those
WITH GREAT GREAT HEARTS
Bernadette was canonized in 1933
Not for her visions
But for---HER TOTAL COMMITMENT
And her SIMPLICITY, integrity, and trust
IN GOD and the BLESSED MOTHER
“To those who believe in God
No explanation is necessary
To those who don’t
No explanation is possible”
“I am the Immaculate Conception”
DO YOU BELIEVE?
Robert P. Wallman
2-23-12
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