The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-18
THE ROSARY AND LouRDEs.


The apparition of Our Lady at
Lourdes has become celebrated
throughout the whole Church. 1t was
on the 18th of February, 1858, that the
Mother of God first appeared. The
following description of this first Wis.,
ion is we'll known, but it's unearthly
beauty never fades: "Bernadette
turned towards the Grotto and noticed
that magnificent wild rose tree, or
briar, which was rooted in a niche in
the rock, and the branches of which
hung down to the ground, was being
gently shaken. All of a sudden, around
the niche, an oval ring of brilliant
golden light appeared, and within the
niche she saw standing Lady OF un-
speakable beauty, with her feet, which
were covered by two large roses, rest
ing lightly on the wild rose tree.
She was dressed in pure white, with a
light blue girdle; white veil COW
cred her head, and on her arm was
hanging rosary with a cross OF
gold. The Lady, as if to encourage
Bernadette, made large Sign OF the
Cross with the cross at the end of
the rosary, and began to pass the
beads through her fingers. The child,
half frightened, yet conscious OF the
presence of something supernatural
and divine, fell on her knees and in
stinctively took the rosary she had
with her, made the Sign of the Cross
as did her celestial vision, and said
her beads. When she had finished,
the vision was gone" (Lourdes and
It's Miracles, by Father Clarke, S. j.
We are told that Bernadette, for the
rest of her life, always made the Sign
of the Cross as she had seen Our
Lady do. And she, undoubtedly, also
learned the other lesson-to say the
Rosary. Our Lady did no more then.
Not one word was uttered to Berna-
dette. The lesson taught, the vision
disappeared. All is redolent of the
Rosary on this day. Our Lady stood
upon a rose tree, her feet were COW
cred with two large roses, her rosary
was at first on her arm, and then she
took it up to pass the beads through
her fingers (Our picture represents
this first vision) In this proud age
the Mother of God appeared herself
and teaches us to say the Rosary
That lesson has passed through Bern
adette to the whole Church, and the
Vicar of Christ himself has re-echoed
the teaching that came from the Grot
to of Lourdes.
| In all the subsequent visions, sew
enteen in number, the Rosary holds
prominent place Bernadette, on go
ing to the Grotto, invariably began tc
say the Rosary before the Lady ap
peared to her. On the Feast of the
Annunciation she asked the Lady tc
saw who she was. The Lady had hel
hands Joined; but at this last entreatJ
of the child, she disjoined them anC
hung her beautiful rosary upon hel
right arm. Then she lowered hel
arms, Joined her hands again very
fervently, and looking up to heaven
pronounced these words, 81 am thu
Immaculate Conception" (Our Bless
ed Lady of Lourdes, Husenbeth,
|
6S.)
1t would be in the highest degre,
ungrateful for members of the Rosar'
Confraternity to pass over or to FOL
get the high sanction given thus b.
Our Lady in our times to the Rosary
She brings to the world no new thing
1t is our much-loved Rosary that /
again, in the most emphatic manner
urged upon us as the prayer of toda
suitable to us, and acceptable to he
as it always has been. And this
not surprising, for the Rosary is tn
Hail Mary, that prayer of divin
melody that ravished the soul OF tn
Virgin Mother of God at the unuttel
able moment of the Incarnation. 1t
no wonder that she seeks us to Low
it and bear it always in our hearts.