St. Bernadette Soubirous: 1844-1879

Description

ST. BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS is a two-fold story: that of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France in 1858, as well as of the 14-year-old peasant girl—raised in dire poverty and unable to read—to whom Our Lady appeared. But more, it is also the story of St. Bernadette's hidden life as a seemingly ordinary nun in her convent at Nevers, where she reached such holiness that after her death, God saw fit to preserve her body incorrupt—as it remains to this day! Beautifully set forth in this book are St. Bernadette's childhood and life at home, her character—honest, intelligent and straightforward—her description of Our Lady, the events surrounding the 18 apparitions, the opposition of the civil authorities, and the shrine and miraculous spring at Lourdes. Also described are Bernadette's life in the convent, where she suffered a martyrdom in body and in soul.* * *Abbé Trochu was the biographer of St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars.* * *Contains the beautiful story of how her smile converted a hardened sinner, when she was *circa* 14 yrs. old:"a nobleman, Count de Bruissard, who was on his summer holidays, was able to call at the home of the Soubirous close to the church. His striking recollections of this visit should certainly be heard:"> I was at Cauterets at the time when there was so much talk of the Lourdes Apparitions. I no more believed in them than in the existence of God: I was a lost sheep and, what is worse, an atheist. Having seen in the local paper that Bernadette had had an Apparition on July 16th, and that the Virgin smiled upon her, I resolved out of curiosity to go to Lourdes and catch the little one red-handed in her lies.> I went to the Soubirous’ home and found Bernadette on the doorstep busy darning stockings. After long questioning about the Apparitions I said to her: ‘Lastly, how did she smile, this beautiful Lady?’ The little shepherdess stared at me with wonder; then after a moment’s silence: ‘Oh, sir, you would have to come from Heaven itself to reproduce that smile.’> ‘Could you not repeat it for me? I am an unbeliever and I don’t believe in your Apparitions.’> The child’s face clouded over. ‘Then, sir, you think I am a liar?’> I felt disarmed. No, Bernadette was no liar, and I was on the point of going down on my knees to beg her pardon. Then she went on: ‘As you are a sinner, I shall repeat the Blessed Virgin’s smile for you.’ The child got up very slowly, joined her hands and gave a heavenly smile such as I have never seen on any mortal lips. Her face lit up with a dazzling radiance of light. She smiled again with her eyes raised heavenwards. I remained motionless before her, convinced that I had seen the Virgin’s smile on the face of the visionary.> Since then I have treasured this heavenly memory in the depths of my soul. I have lost my wife and my two daughters. Yet it seems to me that I am not alone in the world. I live with the Virgin’s smile.