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HTMLText_0A44D78A_CD75_F074_4162_D6CECD010C66.html = End of the Way of the Cross
Christ, our God, who to accept us
Your painful crucifixion,
Welcome hymns and prayers
That we dedicate to your passion
And comfort those you bought forever
By the mystery of the Cross.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Praying the Rosary
The Rosary begins with the sign of the cross, carrying the right hand to the forehead, saying: "In the name of the Father"; then on the chest, saying: "and the Son"; then to the left shoulder and the right shoulder, saying: "and of the Holy Spirit"; finally he says: "So be it" and recites the Credo (1).
Then, on the first grain, the Our Father is said (2). Of each of the three grains (3): a "Hail Mary" and we finish the introduction to the Mysteries with a Gloria. If you say the whole Rosary in the day, you don't repeat this introduction; if you only say one rosary in the day, that is, you only meditate on one set of mysteries, you make this introduction for each rosary.
Then comes the meditation of the four series of mysteries: joyful, painful, glorious and bright, which make up the four chapels that make up the Rosary. Each series is itself made up of five mysteries that are meditated in five dozen. They are called because they recite the "Our Father" (5 and 7), followed by ten "Hail Mary" (6). The prayer of "Glory to the Father" ends the dozen.
So it takes five dozen to make a small rosary, four small rosaries to make a great rosary.
HAIL MARY:
“"Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death."
Amen.”
After every ten, say the following invocation:
Oh! My Jesus, forgive us all our sins, save us from the fire of hell and lead all souls to Heaven. We pray you especially for those who need your Mercy most.
At the end of the small or the great rosary, say the following invocations:
Lord, give us priests!
Lord, give us holy priests!
Lord, give us many holy priests!
Lord, give us many holy religious vocations!
History of the rosary
In 1917, in Fatima, the Virgin told three children: "I am Our Lady of the Rosary. I came to urge the faithful to recite the rosary every day, to penance for their sins and to change their lives."
Origins
In the 3rd century, Christians turned to Mary, recalling the words of the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation: "Hail Mary, full of grace." In addition to this greeting, in the 9th century Elisabeth’s exclamation will be added during the Visitation: "blessed art thou among women." Only the name of Mary is added to the text. This will be, until the end of the 15th century, the first expression of the Hail Mary.
In the 12th century, devotion to Mary took on considerable importance in the West. The antiphon of the Ave Maria becomes a popular prayer. In the monasteries, it gradually replaces the Pater Noster that the fellow brothers recite while the monks sing the psalms in Latin. The knotted cords then the grain abacus invented to count the psalms and the Our Father, are then used to count the Hail Mary. This is called Mary's Psalter.
In the 13th century, Saint Gertrude added the name of Jesus to the conclusion of the Hail Mary.
In the 14th century, the statues of the Virgin are often crowned with garlands of roses, or rosaries, like the ones whose girls were dressed on feast days. These names are then named after the cords and the abacus used to count the Pater and the Ave. Each Ave Maria is like a rose offered to the Blessed Virgin.
Dominique the Carthusian father of the Rosary
In the 15th century, in Prussia, the prayer of the Charterhouse of Trier advises a novice to recite fifty Ave Maria every day while meditating on the life of Jesus. The young Carthusian Dominique then wrote 50 short meditations. His priest was seduced by it and sent them to various monasteries of his order. Then Dominique wrote a series of three times 50 meditations to be put in parallel with the 150 psalms. Gradually, to make it easier to memorize, we move to the use of grouping the Ave into fifteen dozen, all introduced by a Pater. This reduces the number of meditations from 150 to 15. The Rosary was born.
Subsequently, the use of the word "Rosary" was reserved to 15 dozen, a string of only five. It was to brother Alain de la Roche, born in Brittany in 1428, who entered the Order of Preachers (Dominican) that he was disseminated. He preaches in Flanders and then in Lille, where, in contact with Carthusian monasteries, he discovers the meditations of Dominique de Prussia. Alain de la Roche then became the great apostle of the Rosary. He advocates the creation of the Rosary Brotherhood, whose success is immense.
At the end of the 15th century, the phrase "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners" appeared. The word "poor" is added to "sinners" later.
The Prayer of the Christian People
In 1571, Pope Pius V established as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, in thanksgiving for Lepante’s victory over the Turks, considered a miracle obtained by the Rosary prayer in which all Christianity was involved at his request. This is the greatest victory in the history of Christianity. The following year, Pius V formalized the list of the fifteen mysteries. The Rosary becomes the prayer of the Christian people.
Over the centuries, great Christians will attach their name to it. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) is the great apostle of the Rosary. Pauline Jaricot (1799-1862) launches the living Rosary. At the cave of Lourdes, Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) recites the rosary with the Blessed Virgin. Pope Leo XIII devotes twelve encyclical prayers, calling him "the Pope of the Rosary".
Finally, John Paul II proclaims a year of the Rosary (October 2002 - October 2003). He cries out to all Christians: "May my call not remain a dead letter" and adds to the fifteen joyful, painful and glorious mysteries the five bright mysteries.
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
Beginning of the Way of the Cross
In the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, we want to go this way with You. With Mary, your mother and our mother, and with Bernadette our sister, give us to communicate to the sufferings of Your passion by reproducing in us Your death, in the hope of reaching, we also to resurrection.
14th station:
Jesus is given back to the men
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
The Son of God made himself a man, let us share our human condition until death and burial. He thus means that he comes to join us in what most removes us from the Father.
Bernadette did not fear death, but throughout her life she prepared to make her death a meeting of love with Christ Jesus, the way to the Father.
We, ourselves, can accept that our mortal condition hides, for the time being, our call for a bright meeting with the Father, that one day Christ will manifest for us. In our prayer, ask the Father the bread of hope.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
10th station:
Jesus is stripped of his clothes
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Jesus knows the extreme counting, thus signifying that he has given everything out of love for what the Father has entrusted to him.
During her religious life, Bernadette stripped herself of all the graces she was filled with, saying: "now i have to live what i received."
We ourselves, remember that there is "more joy to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) and, in our prayer, ask the Father the bread of self-forgetfulness.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
11th station:
Jesus is nailed on the Cross
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
"My life, no one takes it, but I give it" (Jn 10:18). It is through this gift of the greatest love that Jesus offers himself to the Father and liberates us.
On his bed of suffering, Bernadette hugs his cross on his heart saying: "that's enough for me."
We ourselves are invited every day to exercise our freedom to give our lives and thus enter into the liberation that Christ brings us. In our prayer, ask the Father the bread of inner freedom.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
7th station:
Jesus falls for the second time
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
In the second temptation, Jesus responds to the Temptation: "You shall worship only God alone" (Mt 4:10). This is how Jesus always gives the Father the first place.
Bernadette will be tempted to stop going to the Cave, but she will stand by saying: "i promised."
We ourselves are always tempted not to give the Father the first place, quick that we want to worship all kinds of material goods or other creatures. In our prayer, ask the Father "the bread of the truth".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
12th station:
Jesus dies on the cross
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Until the end Jesus identifies with each and every one of us. This is why he endorses the psalmist's prayer: "my God, my God, why did you abandon me? "(Mt 27:46).
Bernadette will know the night of faith, even saying that "physical suffering is nothing in relation to inner torments".
We ourselves, who dread to be abandoned by God and others, knowing how to give us up in the hands of the father, and ask him, in our prayer, the bread of perseverance.
Those who can get on their knees.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen
8th station:
Jerusalem women cry over Jesus
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Jesus told the women of Jerusalem: "Don't cry on me, cry on your children" (Lk 23:28). Only the Son of the Father can pronounce such a word. Indeed, Jesus invites everyone to welcome his own suffering and that of others, a consequence of our nature contaminated by sin.
Bernadette not only prayed to the Father "for the fishermen", but she also asked others to pray for her "poor fisherman".
We ourselves, it is the awareness of our weakness and sin that opens us to the welcome of the Son of the Father who comes to save us. In our prayer, ask the Father the bread of the contribution of our sins.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
9th station:
Jesus falls for the third time
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
In the third temptation, Jesus responds to the Litigation: "thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Mt 4:7). Like the father, Jesus, who is all-powerful, uses his power to serve his brothers.
Bernadette welcomes with a wide-open heart what she receives from Mary. She uses the message she receives, testifying: "i'm in charge of telling you."
We ourselves, as men or women, have not only received the capacity to love, but have also been invested with the prerogatives of our state of life: paternity, motherhood... In our prayer, ask the Father for the bread of availability and service.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
4th station:
Jesus meets his mother
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
The first disciple of her Son Jesus, Mary is the first to put into practice the word of her Son: "whoever wants to walk after me, let him take his cross and follow me" (Lk 9:23). That is why Mary tells the disciples to "do whatever Jesus tells them to do" (Jn 2:5).
In her encounter with Mary, Bernadette is immediately invited to turn to the Cross, to draw the sign on it, to welcome the Cross as the place of the transition from his reality to that of Jesus.
We ourselves, as soon as we turn to Mary, learn from her that it is in the mystery of the Cross that we become disciples of Christ Jesus and, through him, with him and in him, son or daughter in the only Son of the Father. In our prayer, ask the Father to "see only Jesus alone, in all and for all".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
13th station:
Jesus is given back to the men
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
In death, as in life, Jesus is dependent on others, signifying his love dependence on the Father, whom he told us he even knows the number of our hair (Mt 10:30).
Bernadette always relied on others whose dependence she freely accepted: his parents, Mary, the Church, his superiors, his spiritual father…
We ourselves, through our positive dependencies, know how to welcome the providence of the Father and ask him, in our prayer, the bread of filial abandonment.
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
6th station:
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Jesus is "the image of the invisible Father" (Col 1:15). That is why he can say: "who saw me saw the Father" (Jn 14:9).
Without task, without sin, immaculate, Mary is transparent of her Son, himself "resplendent reflections of the Father's glory" (Heb 1:3). With his fidelity and love for Mary, Bernadette herself becomes a reflection of the transparency of the Immaculate.
We too are called to "reflect as in a mirror the glory of the Father and to be transformed into that same image" (2 Cor 3:18). In our prayer, ask the Father "the bread of detachment of creatures".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
5th station:
Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus carrying His Cross
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Jesus told us: "the Father and I are one" (Jn 10:30). Seeing Jesus, Simon of Cyrene recognizes in him his own brother. He saw the word of Jesus: "You have only one Father and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8-9).
In their hearts, Marie wears Bernadette. But, little by little, Bernadette is wearing Mary. Indeed, as their conditions deepen, Bernadette begins to reflect Mary and thus show her by becoming more like her: daughter of the Father.
We ourselves, through our communion with those who suffer, complete in our flesh what remains to be suffered from the trials of Christ (Col 1:24). In our prayer, ask the Father "the bread of charity".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
3rd station:
Jesus falls for the first time
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
The Adversary tries Jesus, trying to make him doubt his identity as the Father’s son. Jesus replied that what He Is comes to him, not from men, but from the Father: "Man lives not only from bread, but from every word that comes out of the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4).
Bernadette also, at the time of temptation and ordeal, turns to The One whom Mary has designated him as his Savior. They experience her condition as a girl in the only Son: "Jesus for the sole purpose; Jesus as the only master; Jesus as the only model; Jesus for joy alone; Jesus for riches only; Jesus as the only friend".
We ourselves, at the time of our falls, ask the Father "the bread of humility".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
2nd station:
Jesus is charged with his cross
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
At the time of physical suffering, of moral hardship, reducing sends to the Father: "My food is to do the will of the Father" (Jn 4:34). Indeed, not only does this will of love not crush Jesus, but it also frees him to give his life.
Bernadette welcomes Mary's will, not without difficulty but by going all the way. "If you knew how much it cost me," she said about the muddy water she was asked to drink before she discovered the pure water source. Mary's desire for love opens Bernadette's heart to make her life an offering of love.
We ourselves, at the time of suffering, ask the Father "the bread of strength to break our will and then melt to his own".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
1st station:
Jesus is sentenced to death
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
Because You have redeemed the world through Your Holy Cross!
Jesus accepted reality, as it presents itself to him. Thank you, before the prospect of his death, Jesus turned to his Father and said to him: "Father, this cup cannot pass without my drinking it, let Your will be done!" (MT 26:42). This is how Jesus affirms one last time that his confidence in the Father is greater than anything else and that neither suffering nor death can deny it.
At the time of doubt, misunderstanding, and trial, Bernadette, too, never ceases to show his unwavering confidence in the Father: "when you think that the good God allows it, you do not complain".
We ourselves, when the death of our loved ones or the prospect of our own death revolt, ask the Father "the bread of patience, to bear the sorrows our heart suffers".
O Crux, ave, spes unica ! O crux, ave, spes unica !
Sixth Mystery:
The Agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Olive Trees
The fruit of mystery: The regret of our sins
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this sixth dozen in honor of your Deadly Agony in the Garden of Olive Trees; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, to contrive our sins.
The Agony of Our Lord at the Garden of Olives (Lk 22: 39-46; Mt 26: 36-56; Mc14: 32-52; Jn 18: 1-11):
Jesus went out to go, as usual, to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. When he arrived there, he said: "Pray, so as not to enter into temptation". Then he departed at a distance of about a stone throw. On his knees, he prayed: "Father, if you will, move this cup away from me; however, let it not be my will, but yours." Then, from heaven, he appeared an angel who comforted him. In anguish, Jesus prayed more emphatically; and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. After this prayer, Jesus rose up and joined his disciples, whom he found sleeping with sadness. He told them: "Why are you sleeping? Stand up and pray, so as not to enter into temptation".
Eleventh Mystery:
The Resurrection
The fruit of mystery: Faith
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this eleventh dozen in honor of your glorious Resurrection; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, a greater faith.
The Resurrection (Lk 24: 1-12; Mt 28: 5-8; Mc16: 5-4):
On the first day of the week, in the morning, the women went to the tomb, carrying the aromas they had prepared. They found the rolled stone on the side of the tomb. They entered, but found not the body of the Lord Jesus. They knew nothing but to think, when two men showed up with dazzling clothing. Seized with fear, they lowered their faces to the ground. They told them: "Why are you looking for the Living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, and crucified, and on the third day he shall be raised again." Then they remembered his words.
Eighth Mystery:
The Coronation of Spines
The fruit of mystery: The mortification of our pride
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this eighth dozen in honor of your Coronation of Spines; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, to be contemptuous of the world.
The Coronation of Spines (Mt 27: 27-31; Mc15: 16-20):
The soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which is the Prey, and they called the whole cohort. They wear Him purple, then, having braided a crown of thorns, they put Him. And they began to greet Him: "Hi, king of the Jews! "And they would strike Him with a reed and spit on Him, and they would stretch their knee before Him to pay tribute to Him. Then, when they made fun of Him, they took the coat of purple off Him and returned His clothes to Him.
Tenth Mystery:
The Crucifixion
The fruit of mystery: A greater love of God and souls
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this 10th dozen in honor of your Crucifixion and your ignominious Death on Calvary; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, the conversion of sinners, the perseverance of the righteous and the relief of the souls of the Purgatory.
The Crucifixion (Lk 23: 33-44; Mt 27: 33-56; Mc15: 21-41; Jn 19: 17-37):
Two others criminals were still taken with Jesus to execute them. When we arrived at the place called "the Skull" or Calvary, Jesus was put on a cross, with the two criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said: "Father, forgive them: They didn’t know what they were doing." They shared his clothes and drew lots of them. The people stood there watching. The leaders were quieting, saying: "He saved others: He should save himself, if he is the Messiah of God, the Elected!" The soldiers also laughed at him. They approached him to give him a vinegar drink and said: "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourselves!" An inscription was placed above his head: "This is the king of the Jews."
One of the criminals hanging on the cross was cursing him: "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself, and we with you!" But the other made a strong reproach to him: "So you have no fear of God! You are a convict, too! And then, for us, it's just: after what we have done, we have what we deserve. But he did nothing wrong."
Seventh Mystery:
The Flogging
The fruit of mystery: The mortification of our senses
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this seventh dozen in honor of your bloody flogging; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, to moralize our senses.
The Flogging (Mt 27: 26; Mc15: 15; Jn 19: 1):
As the crowds gathered, Pilate told them: "Who do you want me to release you? Barabbas? or Jesus, called Christ?" He knew that Jesus had been delivered out of jealousy. While sitting in court, his wife told him: "Don’t interfere with this righteous thing, for today I have suffered a great deal in dream because of him." The great priests and elders pushed the crowds to demand Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor replied: "Which of the two do you want me to release you?" They replied: "Barabbas!" Pilate told them: "So what will I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all replied: "Let him be crucified!" Pilate asked: "What harm did he do?" They cried out even louder: "May he be crucified!" Pilate saw that his efforts were useless, but to increase the tumult, took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying: "I am innocent of the blood of this man: It's your business!" All the people replied: "His blood, be it on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them; as for Jesus, he made him flagship, and delivered him to be crucified.
Fourteenth Mystery:
The Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin
The fruit of mystery: The grace of a good death
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fourteenth dozen in honor of the Mystery of the triumphant Assumption of your Holy Mother in Heaven; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through its intercession, the grace of a good death.
The Wish of Louis XIII:
Before being a dogma, the Assumption of Mary was a belief based on the patristic tradition recognized from the early days of the Church. In 373 AD. J-C., Saint Ephrem evokes the concept that the body of Mary remained intact after her death — that is, not reached by the "impurity" of death.
Louis XIII's vow is a set of promises and devotional acts made by the King of France Louis XIII (1601-1643). On several occasions, he undertook to consecrate his kingdom to Notre-Dame, if she granted him the grace of having a heir to succeed him on the throne. The pregnancy of Anne of Austria is interpreted as the divine response to her prayers. The king then kept his promise. On February 10, 1638, he signed and published an edict of consecration to Saint-Germain-en-Laye which dedicated France to the Virgin Mary under the title of her Assumption. The future Louis XIV was born on September 5, 1638. With this wish, Louis XIII established the processions of August 15. In addition, each church in the kingdom must, in so far as the church itself was not under the patronage of the Virgin, devote its main chapel to Our Lady. Assumption (celebrated on August 15) becomes one of the main festivals in France.
On November 1, 1950, the Assumption of Mary was defined as a dogma of faith by the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus of Pope Pius XII:
"By the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by Our own authority, We pronounce, declare, and define as a dogma divinely revealed that the Immaculate Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, after having completed the course of her earthly life, was raised body and soul to celestial glory".
Thirteenth Mystery:
The Pentecost
The fruit of mystery: The Apostolic zeal, the struggle for Faith
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this thirteenth dozen in honor of the Mystery of Pentecost; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, the descent of the Holy Spirit into our souls.
The Pentecost (Act 2: 1-13):
When the Pentecost arrived (the fiftieth day after Easter), they were all together. Suddenly, the sound of the sky was like the sound of a sudden wind blow: the whole house where they were standing was filled with them. They saw themselves as a kind of fire that was shared in languages and that lay on each of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit: They began to speak in other languages, and each spoke according to the gift of the Spirit.
There were, however, fervent Jews in Jerusalem, from all the nations under heaven. When the people heard the noise, they gathered in crowds. They were amazed because each of them heard them speak their own language. Disconcerted, amazed, they said: "Aren't all these men who speak Galileans? How is it that each of us will hear them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Ellamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, the shores of the Black Sea, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt and Libya close to Cyrene, Romans living here, Jews of birth and converted, Cretans and Arabs, all of us hear them let us proclaim in our languages the wonders of God."
First Mystery:
Annunciation
The fruit of mystery: humility
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this first ten in honor of your Incarnation in the womb of Mary; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through its intercession, a profound humility.
The Annunciation (Lk 1: 26-38):
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young girl, a virgin, given in marriage to a man in the house of David, called Joseph; and the girl's name was Mary. The angel came into her house and said: "I greet you, I am filled with grace, the Lord is with you. "To that word, she was utterly upset, and she wondered what that greeting could mean. The angel then said to him: "Be fearless, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
Here you will conceive and bore a son. You will give him the name of Jesus.
Fourth Mystery:
The Presentation of Jesus to the Temple and Purification
The fruit of mystery: The spirit of purity and obedience
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fourth dozen in honor of your presentation to the Temple and the Purification of Mary; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through its intercession, a great purity of body and mind.
The presentation of Jesus to the Temple and Purification (Lk: 2: 22-40):
When the day fixed by the law of Moses for purification came, the parents of Jesus took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as written in the Law: Every first-born male will be dedicated to the Lord. They also offered the sacrifice prescribed by the law of the Lord: a couple of doves or two small doves.
Third Mystery:
The Nativity
The fruit of mystery: The Spirit of Poverty
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this third dozen in honor of your Nativity in the Bethlehem stable; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, to detach the goods of the world, to disregard the riches and to love poverty.
The Nativity (Lk 2: 1-21):
In those days, an edict of Emperor Augustus appeared, ordering to list all the earth. The first census took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all of them were going to be listed, each in their home city. Joseph, too, went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem. He was indeed of the house and lineage of David. He came to be identified with Mary, who had been given to him in marriage and who was pregnant.
But while they were there, the time when she had to be born was over. And she gave birth to her firstborn son. she wrapped him in a feeder.
Second Mystery:
The Visitation
The fruit of mystery: Fraternal charity
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this second dozen in honor of the Visitation of your Holy Mother to her cousin Elisabeth, and of the sanctification of Saint John the Baptist; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, for charity towards our neighbor.
The Visitation (Lc: 1 39-56):
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child braided her. Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried loudly: "You are blessed among all women, and the fruit of your bowels is blessed. How am I happy that my Lord's mother comes to me? For when I heard your words of greeting, the child threw joy into me. Happy, she who believed in the fulfillment of the words which were spoken to her by the Lord. "
Fifth Mystery:
The Recovery of Jesus at the Temple
The fruit of mystery: The search for God in everything
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fifth dozen in honor of your Recovering at the Temple by Mary; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through its intercession, to seek God in all things.
The presentation of Jesus to the Temple and Purification (Lk: 2: 22-40):
Every year, Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Easter celebration. When he was twelve years old, they made the pilgrimage according to custom. As they returned at the end of the week, the young Jesus stayed in Jerusalem without his parents noticing. Thinking that he was with their fellow travelers, they made a day’s journey before looking for him among their parents and acquaintances. Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem, continuing to seek him.
It was after three days that they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors of the Law: he listened to them and asked them questions, and all those who heard him were ecstatic about his intelligence and his answers.
Twelfth Mystery:
The Ascension of Our Lord
The fruit of mystery: The desire of Heaven
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this twelfth dozen in honor of your triumphant Ascension; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, a burning desire for Heaven.
The Ascension of Our Lord (Lk 24: 50-53; Mc16: 19-20; Act 1: 4-11):
Jesus, risen, said to the eleven Apostles: "Go all over the world. Proclaim the Good News at all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; he who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Here are the signs that will accompany those who become believers: in my name, they will drive out evil spirits; They will speak new language; they will take snakes in their hands, and if they drink a lethal poison, it will not hurt them; they will put their hands on the sick, and the sick will be fine."
The Lord Jesus, after speaking to them, was taken from heaven and sat to the right of God. They went to proclaim the Good News everywhere. The Lord worked with them and confirmed the Word by the signs that accompanied him.
Fifteenth Mystery:
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven
The fruit of mystery: Greater love and devotion to the Virgin Mary
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fifteenth dozen in honor of the Coronation of your Holy Mother; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through its intercession, unlimited confidence in the Heart of Mary, painful and Immaculate.
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven (Apc 12: 1-3):
A grandiose sign appears in the sky: a Woman, having the sun for a coat, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant (...)
But the Woman gave birth to a son, a male child, the shepherd of all nations, leading them with an iron scepter. The child was taken away from God and his Throne (...) So I heard a powerful voice in heaven proclaiming: "Here is now the salvation, the power and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ! "
Ninth Mystery:
The Portion of the Cross
The fruit of mystery: Patience in hardship
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this ninth dozen in honor of your Portion of Cross; and we ask you, through this Mystery and through the intercession of your Holy Mother, patience in all our crosses.
The Portion of the Cross (Lk 23, 26, 30; Mt 27: 32):
While they were taking him, they took a certain Simon of Cyrene, who came back from the fields, and they loaded him with the cross so that he could carry it behind Jesus. The people, in large crowds, followed him, as well as women who struck their chests and lamented Jesus. He turned around and said: "Women of Jerusalem, don't cry on me! Cry on yourself and your children! These are days when we will say: "Blessed are the sterile women, those who have not been born, those who have not breastfed!" Then you will tell the mountains: "Fall on us", and to the hills: "Hide us." Because if we treat the green tree in this way, what will become of the dry tree?"
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
The Biblical Meaning of Bernadette's Actions
Bernadette's gestures are biblical gestures. Because "the Lady" asked him, Bernadette will express the Incarnation, the Passion and the Death of Christ.
Walk on your knees to the bottom of the Cave
This is the gesture of the Incarnation, of the lowering of God made man. Eating bitter herbs recalls the Jewish tradition found in ancient texts. When the Jews wanted to signify that God had taken on him all the bitterness, all the sins of the world, they were killing a lamb, emptying it, filling it with bitter herbs and saying prayer on him: "This is the Lamb of God who takes on him, who takes away all the bitterness, all the sins of the world."
Wrap your face
The Prophet Isaiah, when speaking of the Messiah, of Christ, shows him under the traits of the Suffering Servant. "Because he wore all the sins of men on him, his face was no longer human," Isaiah says. He continues: "He was like a sheep that was driven to the slaughterhouse and, on his way, people laughed at him." Here, at the Cave, Bernadette is disfigured by the mud, and the crowd screams: "She went crazy." The actions that Bernadette does are gestures of liberation. The cave is discarded from its grass, its mud. But why should we liberate this cave? Because it hides an immense treasure, immeasurable, which must be updated.
Thus, at the ninth appearance, "The Lady" will ask Bernadette to go and scratch the ground, at the bottom of this "Tute to the pigs", saying: "Go to the source, drink and wash yourself there". And now a little muddy water begins to flow, enough for Bernadette to drink. And here's the water becoming, bit by bit, transparent, pure, clear.
The heart of man, wounded by sin, is signified by grass and mud. But at the heart of this heart is the very life of God, signified by the source. Bernadette is asked: "Did the Lady tell you anything?" She replied: "Yes, from time to time she said: Penance, penance, penance. Pray for sinners."
By "penance", we must understand conversion. For the Church, conversion consists, as Christ taught, in turning her heart towards God, towards her brethren. Praying brings into the Spirit of God. So we can realize that sin does not make man happy. Sin is all that opposes God.
During the thirteenth apparition, Marie addressed Bernadette: "Go and tell the priests that a chapel is built here and come to it in procession".
"Let us come in procession" means walking, in this life, always with our brothers. "Let us build a chapel". In Lourdes, the chapels that were built are only the signs of this communion based on charity, to which all are called.
Source: Book of the Pilgrimage 2020 of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lourdes
The Massabielle Cave
Everything started from there!
Who hasn't seen images of the Cave? And yet, by discovering it, many are surprised. "That's it!" they barely dare to say. Yes, that's all, as one Nevers nun said when she saw Bernadette for the first time. To which Bernadette replied: "but yes, that's it." And they became good friends.
The Cave alone already says a lot about Lourdes' message. It is dug into the rock, as an echo of the words of the psalms: "the Lord is my rock, my salvation, my citadel" (Psalm 62:7). But the rock is not the opposite of life: the vegetation abounds around the cave.
The rock and black and the sun never enters the cave: The Appearance, on the other hand, will only be light and smile. The niche where the statue stands marks the place where the lady most often stood.
The Cave is at the very bottom of the city, dominated by the fortified castle and surrounded by peaks of varying heights. The Cave of Lourdes is not underground. We are not in a world of ghosts, witches and myths. The Cave is largely open and welcoming. It's a shelter like a maternal breast.
Has the Cave changed since the Bernadette era? What has not changed is the bottom of the cave, the shape of the vault and the niche of the apparition. But, to find the original site, you have to remove the huge wall that serves as the base for the upper basilica. You have to go up the course of the Gave and find on the pavement the indication of the small canal Bernadette crosses on February 11. The soil was sloping down to find waste released by the Gave on the days of flooding.
Source: Sanctuaries of Lourdes, Official Guide
«Que soy era immaculada Counceptiou»
"Que soy era immaculada Counceptiou", the little Bernadette repeated the phrase throughout the path leading to the presbytery. She does not understand it even if it was formulated in her language.
It is March 25, the day when the Annunciation is celebrated, that is, the Incarnation of the Word of God, born of the encounter of the pure grace of God and the total freedom of Mary. Abbot Peyramale, who demanded to know the name of that one (Aquèro, as Bernadette says), remains forbidden. It is not a name, he shouts: "You lie, she couldn't say that!" and send the child back. But he's upset.
Of course, Bernadette was able to hear this expression four years ago that the Pope defined as a dogma of faith that "the Virgin Mary was, at the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and favor of the Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved intact from all filth of original sin". But Bernadette was ten years old and didn’t go to catechism, she could not read or write, and the sermons had to go over her head.
What did the Virgin say, if not this: I am the human freedom liberated by God for the Father’s project to be fulfilled. And let the Son, through his Incarnation, unite with every human person, communicating to him the Life of God, revealing who the Father is and spreading the Holy Spirit. Anyway, come save the world. For Mary’s answer to be truly free, God must have freed her from all that solidarity with evil which is the original sin entails. That nothing obscure will spoil his answer.
It is therefore a message of freedom that we receive. And we too were liberated by baptism, even though our nature remains wounded.
What the Virgin invites us to do in this pilgrimage is to experience our freedom from the children of God, or to find it if we have lost it, as Bernadette tried. "It is for us to be free that Christ has freed us, so hold on, do not fall under the yoke of a new slavery" (In the Galatians, 5:1). This is what Saint Paul tells us that living free is to be led by the Spirit whose fruits are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, gentleness and self-control" (Ga, 5, 22-23). This is what we come to look for in Lourdes.
Mgr Alain Planet
Bishops of Carcassonne and Narbonne
Conventual Chapel ad Honorem of the Order of Malta
Chapelain General of the French Association of the Order of Malta
Utilisation de la visite virtuelle
Pour profiter au mieux de votre expérience et ainsi découvrir l'intégralité de la visite que je vous propose, voilà comment elle fonctionne :
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
Dear pilgrim friends,
In mid-March (2020), the Sanctuary of Lourdes was closed for the first time in its history.
Usually irrigated by the flow of pilgrims and all those who come to respond to the invitation of Our Lady, the Sanctuary is empty, silent. But silence is also one of the "signs of Lourdes" and contributes to contemplation and prayer.
The Chapels of the Sanctuary began on the same day of the nine special prayers for the world from the Cave of Apparitions. "The Sanctuary of Lourdes is empty, but this prayer in the silence of the place, where Mary appeared, is a magnificent message of love and solidarity to the world. "
This year, exceptionally, we will not have the joy of meeting all of us together in Lourdes at the feet of Our Lady, and I am thinking particularly of you, sick or isolated brothers and sisters, who at that time wanted to reunite in friendship and faith. But circumstances dictate this and lead us to find other ways to make this pilgrimage.
All of us, sick or disabled, volunteers, aspire to plead with the Virgin of Massabielle to intervene with her divine son in order to find healing of the body or soul, comfort in the trials that we all go through. We cannot do it in front of the Cave, but the intensity of our communion of prayer gives us a new strength. In our troubled present life, we entrust ourselves to the maternal love of Mary, the Immaculate Conception. She will bring our prayers to her son, who cannot be deaf to her mother’s demands, nor was he deaf to the wedding of Cana.
"Where many will be gathered in my name, I will be among them," Christ told us. This is true when we are in the same physical place but also when we are in communion of prayer throughout France. In this case, we are an invisible monastery, all the more alive because our prayers are numerous and fervent. It is an opportunity for all to go to the essential by turning to the Father through the intercession of Mary.
Thierry de Beaumont-Beynac, President of the French Association of Members of the Malta Order
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
The crypt
The crypt was blessed on May 19, 1866. Bernadette was present, concealed from the popular curiosity in her costume as Child of Mary.
Monsignor Laurence insisted that Bernadette would not leave for Nevers until he saw the fulfillment of the request made by the Virgin. This shows the error of those who claim that the clergy did everything to "bury" Bernadette.
The crypt, at the time, don't look quite like what we're seeing today. Access was through two chapels, on either side of the entrance, opening onto corridors where priests confessed. The central gallery was not built until 1904. It is topped with ex-voto made of Campan marble, giving thanks for the benefits obtained by Our Lady of Lourdes.
The Virgin with the child is due to the scissor of Fabisch, like the statue of the cave. We don't know if Bernadette saw it, and if she saw it, what he thought of it.
Source: Sanctuaries of Lourdes, Official Guide
Bernadette Soubirous
Bernadette Soubirous witnessed eighteen Marian appearances at the Massabielle Cave between February 11 and July 16, 1858.
Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes in 1844 in a family of millers. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous left the Cachot with her sister and a friend to go and get dead wood on the banks of the Gave, in Massabielle. In the rock bottom, Bernadette sees a "lady in white": "Do you want to pardon me for coming here for fifteen days". The Blessed Virgin comes to meet her 18 times between February and July. In the middle of the fifteen, February 24 and 25, Bernadette received a message "Pray for sinners", and the Lady asked him "to go and drink and wash in the fountain"... After having scratched the muddy earth at the bottom of the cave, Bernadette discovered a spring.
Through these encounters, Bernadette Soubirous understands, thanks to Mary, that God is interested in her, that he is close to the poorest. Throughout this period, Bernadette is not intimidated, she remains simple and free.
At the age of 22, Bernadette returned to the sisters of charity in Nevers, and during these thirteen years she would be successively a nurse-aide, responsible for the infirmary, sacristine and most often ill herself. Bernadette has a cheerful character, she is available as requested. "I won't live for a moment that I don't pass it by loving," she writes.
Her long stay in the infirmary is due to a knee tumor and pulmonary tuberculosis that cause her to suffer a lot. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35. She is buried in the chapel of Saint Joseph in the middle of the garden. She will be canonized (declared holy) on December 8, 1933.
Source : vaticannews.va
The signs of Lourdes:
The rock
Touching the rock represents the brace of God, solid as the rock. Going back up history, it becomes clear that the caves have always served as a natural shelter and marked the imagination of men. Here in Massabielle, as in Bethlehem and at the tomb of Gethsemane, the rock of the Cave has also sheltered the supernatural. Without ever studying, Bernadette knew it, instinctively. "It was my sky," she said about this cave. Facing this rocky mass, you are also invited to go inside; see how polite the rock is, gleaming from rubbing billions of caresses. By the way, take the time to look at the tireless spring, at the bottom left.
Source : Lourdes-france.org
The signs of Lourdes:
The light
Near the Cave, millions of candles have been burning continuously since February 19, 1858. On that day, Bernadette arrives at the Cave with a blessed candle that she holds lit in her hands until the end of the apparition. Before leaving, the Virgin Mary asks her to let him burn up in the cave. The candles offered by pilgrims have been consumed since then, day and night. Every year, 450 tons of candles burn for you and for those who could not come. Moreover, this sign of light is omnipresent in the Holy History. The pilgrims and visitors of Lourdes in procession with a torch in their hand express hope.
Source : lourdes-france.org
The signs of Lourdes:
The Water
"Go and drink at the source and wash yourself there", this is what the Virgin Mary asked Bernadette Soubirous, on February 25, 1858. The water of Lourdes is not blessed water. It's just plain water. It has no thermal properties or specific properties. The popularity of the water of Lourdes was born of miracles. The healed either applied or ingested water from the source. Bernadette Soubirous herself said: "You take water as a medicine... You have to have faith, you have to pray: this water would have no virtue without faith!". The water of Lourdes is a sign of another water: that of baptism.
Source : Lourdes-france.org
Miraculous Healing
Of the more than 7,000 healing cases filed in Lourdes since the apparition, 70 cases have so far been recognized miraculously by the Church. More than 80% of the healings recognized as miraculous concern women. The youngest person whose healing was recognized as miraculous was 2 years old. The countries of origin of persons whose healing has been recognized as miraculous are France (56), Italy (8), Belgium (3), Germany (1), Austria (1) and Switzerland (1). Six people claim to have been healed by the intercession of Notre-Dame de Lourdes when they did not come to Lourdes. The majority of people have been cured in contact with the water of Lourdes (50), most of them at the Sanctuary’s swimming pools.
Source : lourdes-france.org
Saint Pius X Basilica
World War II had just ended, leaving behind rubble in all European countries. Bishop Théas then began to build a vast shelter. Initially, it was a shelter for possessions on rainy days or those of too high heat, difficult to bear by the sick.
No suitable solution appeared. The centenary of the appearances was approaching. Monsignor Théas met the providential man: Pierre Vago. This architect had started working in the sanctuaries. His obsession was to deconstruct the site so that the pilgrim would not be distracted by the prop. So there was no question of adding a building, let alone a huge one. So the great idea was to bury it.
The project was well carried out but the realization of the dramatic adventures. The final commitment was signed in March 1956. Teams are starting to dig. Of course, the water is pouring in from all sides. Concern is rising with the level of the water in what is now the "swimming pool".
Two years later, Cardinal Roncalli, was sent by the Pope to consecrate the basilica. The ceremony took place on March 25, 1958, the day of the Annunciation. The design of the building was quite original, both technically and liturgically. It was a feat to throw a light vault, of a single holding, by rejecting the pillars at the ends of the smallest dimension. This success can be achieved by pre-stressed concrete. From the liturgical point of view, the conception of this church was very bold: an underground, elliptical-shaped church with an altar in the center. It is worth remembering that the plans of this church were drawn up in 1956 and blessed by Pope Pius XII.
Pierre Vago said: by loyalty to Bernadette "this ship must be poor, naked, in: a word: pure." But, to understand the building, you must also experience a moment of celebration: the international mass of Sunday and Wednesday morning, the Eucharistic adoration every afternoon. This monumental building can accommodate up to 20,000 pilgrims.
Source: Sanctuaries of Lourdes, Official Guide
The Decree
On July 28, 1858, the Bishop of Lourdes launched a commission of inquiry into the still supposed appearances of the Virgin Mary at the Cave of Massabielle: his work lasted four years and ended with the Appraisal Recognition Warrant on January 18, 1862.
The official recognition of the Lourdes apparitions by the Church is based on the decisive testimony of Bernadette Soubirous and a thorough work of investigation and discernment.
In the Sanctuary of Lourdes, when entering the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on the right side, the solemn declaration of the Bishop of Apparitions, Bishop Laurence, can be read in the marble: "We find that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, really appeared at Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858 and the following days, eighteen times, in the cave of Massabielle, near the city of Lourdes; that this appearance takes all the characters of the truth, and that the faithful are justified in believing it. We humbly submit our judgment to the Judgment of the Supreme Pontiff, who is responsible for governing the universal Church." This statement by the Bishop of Tarbes is crucial: four years after the apparitions, on 18 January 1862, he recognized them as authentic in the name of the Church.
Bishop Laurence did not let things stand still: The 18 appearances took place from February 11 to July 16, 1858, and as of July 28, it establishes a Commission of Inquiry "to collect and determine the facts that have occurred or that could still occur in or on behalf of the Cave of Lourdes; to inform us of them, to give us the character of them, and thus to provide us with the necessary elements in order to arrive at a solution"...
The Commission must seek healing from the use of cave water. Is this water natural or supernatural? Are Bernadette's visions real? If so, do they have a divine character? Did the object appear make requests to the child? Which ones? Did the fountain in the cave exist before the vision Bernadette claimed he had? And the Bishop to insist in his order which establishes the commission on the seriousness of the work to be carried out: investigation to establish the facts, questioning of witnesses, consulting with scientists, including doctors who would have treated the sick before their recovery, but also men who are well versed in the sciences of physics, chemistry, geology: "The Commission must do nothing to surround itself with the lights and come to the truth of any kind."
For nearly four years the Commission investigated, asked Bernadette, and the bishop concluded his famous mandate of 18 January 1862 "on the judgment of the Apparition which took place at the Cave of Lourdes".
After a descriptive reminder of the apparitions, the bishop explains the wise slowness that the Church brings in the assessment of the supernatural facts: she asks for certain evidence before admitting and proclaiming them divine, for the demon can mislead man by disguising himself as an angel of light: "We drew inspiration from the Commission, composed of wise, pious, educated, experienced priests, who questioned the child, studied the facts, examined everything, weighed everything. We also invoked the authority of science, and we remained convinced that the Appearance is supernatural and divine, and that, therefore, what Bernadette saw was the Most Blessed Virgin. Our conviction was based on Bernadette’s testimony, but above all on the facts which have occurred and which can only be explained by divine intervention".
Source : lourdes-france.org
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
Saint Bernadette's Urn
Saint Bernadette’s urn is the work of the great Lyonnais goldsmith Armand-Cailliat. This reliquary contains some fragments of Bernadette's body, taken during his last exhumation in 1925.
The first meeting
Thursday, 11 February 1858
With his sister and a friend, Bernadette travels to Massabielle, along the Gave, to collect bone and dead wood.
When she rises her feet to cross the stream and go to the Cave, she hears a sound that looked like a wind blow, she lifts her head towards the Cave: "I saw a lady dressed in white: she wore a white dress, a white veil too, a blue belt and a yellow rose on each foot." Bernadette signs the cross and recites the rosary with the Lady. When prayer is over, the Lady abruptly disappears.
When she returns home, she tells her parents that she should not tell anyone. They have enough trouble like that...
Sources: lourdes-france.org, Book of the Pilgrimage 2020 of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lourdes
The Lady reveals her name
Thursday, 25 March 1858
On Thursday, March 25, she will be able to return to the cave. This will be the 16th appearance. Bernadette asks her name from the lady who answers "Que soy era l’immaculada Concepciou ".
"I am the immaculate Conception". Bernadette did not understand, she does not know these words. She goes to repeat the sentence to the priest, and to keep it in mind, she repeats it all the way. Abbé Peyramale is convinced that Bernadette cannot have invented it. The dogma of the immaculate Conception being a new dogma in the Catholic religion, and Bernadette could not in fact understand this expression. Bernadette always faithfully conveys what she saw and heard. On the way back, she says "I am very happy, I made my commission".
Four years earlier, in 1854, Pope Pius IX made the dogma of the Immaculate Conception a truth of the Catholic faith.
During the 17th appearance, Bernadette holds his candle on. at the end of this appearance to which the judge had come to attend, the flame of the candle of Bernadette began to lick his hand, without burning it. A doctor at the scene, Dr. Douzous, will confirm the facts. This is the miracle of the candle.
Sources: lourdes-france.org, Book of the Pilgrimage 2020 of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lourdes
Message to the priests
Tuesday, 2 March 1858
During the thirteenth apparition, the Lady asks Bernadette: "Go and tell the priests that they come here in procession and build a chapel".
Bernadette speaks to Abbé Peyramale, priest of Lourdes. He only wants to know one thing: the name of the Lady. He also demands proof: see the rose tree (enlivening) of the cave bloom in the middle of winter.
On March 3, 1958, at 7 a.m., in the presence of three thousand people, Bernadette went to the Cave, but the vision did not appear! After school, she hears the Lady’s inner invitation. She goes to the Cave and asks her name again. The answer is a smile. The priest Peyramale told him again: "If the Lady really wants a chapel, let her say her name and make the rose of the Cave bloom". The next day, the growing crowd (about eight thousand people) is waiting for a miracle. The vision is silent. The priest Peyramale stands on his position. For twenty days, Bernadette will no longer go to the Cave: she no longer feels the irresistible appeal.
Sources: lourdes-france.org, Book of the Pilgrimage 2020 of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lourdes
The superior church
The superior church was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the name that the Lady had declared on March 25, 1858. She was blessed on August 15, 1860 and consecrated during the grandiose feasts of July 1, 2 and 3, 1876. She had received basil's dignity in 1874.
But the landmark date in the history of this church is "the pilgrimage of the banners", from October 5 to 8, 1872. In the aftermath of the War of 1870 and the terrible period of the Commune, a priest of the Dijon diocese and a daring chateau had the idea of a Manifestation of faith and hope in France. Each province would come with the banners of the Marian sanctuaries. At the top of the October 6 procession, the banners of Alsace-Lorraine, the lost provinces, are black crepe dressed. The Archbishop of Auch kissed the banner of Alsace. The emotion was as strong as faith and hope among the 70,000 pilgrims of that day. These banners decorated the basilica for a long time, before they had to be sheltered for their conservation.
Under the basilica's porch, a statue of the Virgin welcomes you. The lintel shows Christ in glory surrounded by the symbols of the evangelists: the beef for Saint Matthew, the lion for Saint Mark, the man for Saint Luke and the eagle for Saint John. The sculpture was offered by the city of Tarbes, the seat of the diocese where heavy is found.
Source: Sanctuaries of Lourdes, Official Guide
The message of Lourdes
February 18, 1858: extraordinary words
At the third apparition, on February 18, the Virgin spoke for the first time: "What I have to tell you is not necessary to put it in writing." This means that Mary wants to enter with Bernadette into a relationship that is of the order of love, which lies at the heart level. Bernadette is invited to open the depths of his heart to this message of Love.
To the Virgin's second word: "Do you want to pardon me for coming here for fifteen days? ", Bernadette is upset. This is the first time he has been told "you". Bernadette, feeling so respected and loved, experiences being herself a person. We are all worthy in the eyes of God. Because everyone is loved by God.
The Virgin's third word: "I promise you not to make you happy in this world, but in the other world." When Jesus, in the Gospel, invites us to discover the Kingdom of Heaven, he invites us to discover, in the world as it is, another world. Where there is Love, God is present. The Virgin Mary conveys to Bernadette the certainty of a promised land that can only be reached after death.
God is Love
Despite her misery, her illness, her ignorance, Bernadette has always been deeply happy. This is the Kingdom of God, the world of true love. During Mary's first seven appearances, Bernadette showed a shining face of joy, happiness, light. But, between the eighth and twelfth appearances, everything changes: Bernadette's face becomes hard, sad, painful and above all, she makes incomprehensible gestures... Walking on her knees to the bottom of the cave; kiss the dirty and disgusting soil of this cave; eat some bitter herbs; scratch the ground and try to drink muddy water; wrap your face with mud. Then, Bernadette looks at the crowd, and they all say: "She's crazy." During four appearances, Bernadette will reproduce the same gestures. What does that mean? No one understood anything! Yet we are at the heart of the "Message of Lourdes".
The Cave hides an immeasurable treasure
At the ninth appearance, "The Lady" asked Bernadette to go and scratch the ground, telling her: "Go to the source, drink and wash yourself there". Through these gestures, we are told the very mystery of the heart of Christ: "A soldier, from his spear, pierced his heart and immediately sprung blood and water." The heart of man, wounded by sin, is signified by grass and mud. But at the heart of this heart is the very life of God, signified by the source. Bernadette is asked: "Did "The Lady" tell you anything? ". She replied: "Yes, from time to time she said: "Penance, penance, penance. Pray for sinners." By "penance", we must understand conversion. For the Church, conversion consists, as Christ taught, in turning her heart towards God, towards her brethren.
During the thirteenth apparition, Marie addressed Bernadette: "Go and tell the priests that a chapel is built here and come to it in procession". "Let us come in procession" means walking, in this life, always with our brothers. "Let us build a chapel". In Lourdes, chapels were built to accommodate the pilgrims' crowd. The chapel is "the Church" that we must build, where we are.
The lady says her name: "Que soy era Immaculada Counceptiou"
On March 25, 1858, the day of the sixteenth apparition, Bernadette asked the "Lady" to say her name. "La Dame" replied in dialect: "Que soy era Immaculada Counceptiou", which means in English "I am the Immaculate Conception". The Immaculate Conception is "Mary conceived without sin, thanks to the merits of the Cross of Christ" (definition of the dogma promulgated in 1854). Bernadette immediately went to the place of the priest to give him the name of "the Lady". He understands that it is the Mother of God who appears at the Cave. Later, the Bishop of Tarbes, Bishop Laurence, will authenticate this revelation.
Source : lourdes-france.org
The Last appearance
Friday, 16 July 1858
On the day of the eighteenth apparition, Bernadette felt the mysterious call of the Cave, but access to Massabielle was forbidden and closed by a fence.
She goes to the other side of the Gave... and sees the Virgin Mary, one last time: "It seemed to me that I was in front of the cave, at the same distance as the other times, I only saw the Virgin, never saw her so beautiful! ".
Sources : lourdes-france.org
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!
"Penance!"
Wednesday, 24 February 1858
In this eighth appearance, the Lady speaks again: "Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners! Go fuck the earth in penance for the sinners! "
In the following appearances, the crowd grew more and more. On February 25, 1858, the day of the ninth appearance, Bernadette recounts: "She tells me to go and drink at the source (...). I found only a little silty water. On the fourth try I could drink. She also made me eat a grass that was near the fountain and then the vision disappeared and I went away. In front of the crowd who asked him: "Do you know you're crazy to do things like that? She replied: "It's for sinners. "On February 28, (eleventh appearance), more than a thousand people attend ecstasy. Bernadette prays, fuck the earth and crawl on her knees as a sign of penance. She is then taken to Judge Ribes, who threatens to jail her.
Monday, March 1, 1858: the first miraculous healing
More than 1,500 people are gathered and among them, for the first time, a priest. In the night, Catherine Latapie, a friend of heaven, goes to the Cave, dips her arm into the water of the spring: his arm and hand regain their flexibility.
Sources : lourdes-france.org,
The Lady Speaks
Thursday, 18 February 1858
For the first time, the Lady speaks.
Bernadette presents a writing and asks him to write his name. She told him: "This is not necessary. She adds: "I promise you not to make you happy in this world but in the other. Do you want to pardon me for coming here for fifteen days?"
Rumors are rife and Bernadette is followed and tracked by people who have heard of the apparitions and want to see her and give her money to talk to them. She will never accept a penny.
At the fourth appearance, Bernadette comes to the Cave with a blessed and lit candle. It was from this gesture that the custom arose to wear candles and light them in front of the Cave. The Lady will teach her a personal prayer at their fifth meeting. At the end of the vision, a great sadness will invade Bernadette.
It's a hundred people accompanying the sighting for the sixth appearance. She is then questioned by Police Commissioner Jacomet. He wants her to say what she saw. Bernadette only talks to him about "Aquero" (that).
For the seventh appearance, it is surrounded by one hundred and fifty people that Bernadette goes to the Cave. The Appearance reveals a secret "just for her."
Sources: lourdes-france.org, Book of the Pilgrimage 2020 of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lourdes
Blessed water
Sunday, February 14, 1858
Bernadette feels an inner force that pushes her back to the Cave despite the prohibition of her parents.
At his insistence, his mother authorizes him to do so; after the first ten rosaries, she sees the same Lady appear. She throws her blessed water. The Lady smiled and bowed her head. The prayer of the rosary ended, it disappears.
Sources : lourdes-france.org
Prayer of a poor beggar
O Jesus, please give me the bread of humility,
The bread of obedience, the bread of charity,
The bread of force to break my will
And then melt to yours,
The bread of the interior mortification,
Bread detachment from creatures,
The bread of patience to bear
The pain my heart suffers.
O Jesus, you will strengthen me, do,
The bread of strength to suffer well,
The bread to see only you alone in all and in all.
Jesus, Mary, the Cross,
I don't want any friends other than that.
Sainte Bernadette Soubirous (1840 - 1879). Private notebook.
History of the Way of the Cross
The First Way of the Cross
Since 313, Christians have wanted to be in Jerusalem every year, the week of Christ's Passion, and to make the journey that Christ had traveled in the days before his death. The death and resurrection of Christ founded the birth of the Church at Pentecost. In a way, the Christians of the first centuries wanted to relive the event, to identify themselves with Jesus, and by this gesture to thank him.
Later, Saint Francis of Assisi sought to encourage the first minor brothers to a memory "in deeds". He created the first Christmas Nativity Scene in 1223, and it was to him that the first reconstruction, in the form of meditations, of the way of the cross was also created. The Order of the Minor Brothers, which he created, will be the guardian of the Holy Places from the fourteenth century, under an agreement with the Turks. The Franciscans then led the spiritual exercises of the pilgrims on Via Dolorosa followed by Christ in Jerusalem, going to the Pilate court, at the lower end of the city, to Golgotha, Calvary, at its summit. They will transpose this form of meditation on the Passion to all the faithful and thus enable the poor and those who cannot go to the Holy Land to do the same thing as the pilgrims.
Its spread
A turning point in the history of the Way of the Cross began in the 15th century, with the development of devotion to the "falls of the Passion" in some countries. In Rome, for example, the "steps of Christ", numbered seven or nine, are also worshipped, sometimes with columns erected on the way to a church. Then began devotion to the "stations of Christ", the number of which varied according to whether they were made from the farewell of Jesus to his mother, the Upper Room, the garden, or even to Pilate. And strictly within the restricted circle of Franciscans.
It was not until 1731 that Pope Clement XII was able to create ways of the cross in other churches. The number of stations was then fixed at fourteen, while Benoit XIV, in 1741, continued to develop but limited the extension to one way of the cross per parish.
Saint Leonard of Port-Maurice (1676-1751) is one of the greatest propagators of Via Crucis. He spends his life preaching, writing books of spirituality and visiting some three hundred missions in Rome, Corsica and northern Italy. In France, devotion to the Way of the Cross and its fourteen stations was introduced through the immigrant priests in Italy, upon their return to the country, in the aftermath of the French Revolution.
The Way of the Cross of the Espelugues
The hill of the Espelugues was completed by Bishop Laurence in 1869. But it was only in 1912 that the way of the cross was completed. Each station was offered, either by a benefactor, by a group or by a diocese. It is quite common to choose a height to establish a way of the cross. The bishop who spoke on the day of the inauguration said: "He makes prayer, he makes cry, and he makes better."
The Way of the Cross of the Espelugues has the particularity of having a fifteenth station (traditionally the Way of the Cross only has fourteen): the exit of the tomb.
The texts that you will discover throughout this memory "in deeds", is the work of Father Horacio Brito, Superior General of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception of Lourdes and General Chapel of the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Sources: eglise.catholisue.fr, aleteia.org, Sanctuaries of Lourdes - Official guide
Using the virtual tour
To get the most out of your experience and thus discover the entire visit I propose, here is how it works:
- To rotate in the 360° image make a left click with your mouse and hold it down to take it in the desired direction;
- if you use a smartphone or tablet, to rotate in the image you can either touch the image and slider or rotate on yourself;
- to move forward click on the floor, to change rooms click on the door;
- click on info to discover the history of the site;
- click on help to open or close this dialog box;
- click on the different logos you'll see to find out what's behind it;
- to close a piece of information, click on the cross;
Enjoy the visit!