Learning Lessons of Prayer and Penance from Our Lady of Lourdes
This blogcast explores “Learning Lessons of Prayer and Penance from Our Lady of Lourdes” written by Dana Edwards Szigeti and read by Fatima Monterrubio Cruess.
In this blog post, Dana shares some of her insights she learned by attending a virtual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes, France and how our Lady calls us to prayer and penance.
Prayer is transformative and plays a huge part in helping get us through our earthly sufferings. Choosing love helps make sacrifice endurable. St. Bernadette taught us that suffering passes, but having suffered remains eternally. The physical and emotional sacrifices of this world are temporary compared to the glory of everlasting life in heaven with God.
St. Bernadette famously said, “One who loves does not notice their trials, or perhaps more accurately, is able to love them. Love without measure.” At first, this not noticing of trials seems idealistic. But then I realized that our trials are made more bearable because of our love for another. I think of how mothers go through physical pain and exhaustion for their newborn babies, or how a father stays up at night with a sick child. I think of how husbands and wives sacrifice individual wants for the needs of each other. I think of how a friend puts their own struggles aside to help another friend going through a deep, rough patch.
We can look to Mary and Jesus as examples of how to love while enduring sacrifice. “She spoke to me as one person to another,” said St. Bernadette of Mary. This conversational nature of Mary and St. Bernadette’s relationship shows us that we can easily speak to her and ask for her prayerful intercession as our mother.
At Mary’s appearances to St. Bernadette, she revealed herself to be the Immaculate Conception. By allowing God to forgive us of our sins and conduct his work inside us, we are becoming more “immaculate” witnesses to God in the world. Mary emphasized the need for penance and prayer, not just for ourselves, but for the healing of all.
Author:
Dana Edwards Szigeti currently resides in Orlando, Florida, where she works as a senior communications representative for a local company. She moved to the city after getting married in May, and is a parishioner of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church.
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