Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fifth Week :  Wednesday*

*Gospel :  John 2:1-11*

*First Reading : Is 66:10-14*

*Responsorial Psalm : Jdt 13:18-19*

*Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes*

*1) Our Lady of Lourdes and the Wedding at Cana*

At first glance, Lourdes and Cana seem very different—one a quiet grotto with a poor young girl, the other a joyful wedding feast. Yet the spiritual thread is strong and intentional.

*A) Mary’s role as intercessor*

At Cana, Mary notices the need: “They have no wine.” At Lourdes, Mary appears to Bernadette and gently directs people toward prayer, repentance, and trust in God’s mercy.

In both moments, Mary does not draw attention to herself—she leads people to Jesus.

*B) “Do whatever He tells you”* 

 This is Mary’s only recorded command in the Gospels (Jn 2:5). At Lourdes, her messages echo this same spirit: prayer, conversion, penance, humility—obedience to God’s will.

*C) From water to grace*

At Cana, ordinary water becomes extraordinary wine. At Lourdes, ordinary spring water becomes a sign of healing, hope, and God’s closeness, not magic, but grace-filled.

*D) Manifestation of God’s glory* 

Cana is the first sign through which Jesus reveals His glory. Lourdes is a continuing sign of God’s compassion, especially for the sick, the poor, and the forgotten.

Mary stands quietly at both places, pointing beyond the visible to the saving action of God.

*2) Important Messages of Lourdes* 

The Lourdes apparitions (1858) are simple but profound. They are deeply Gospel-centered.

*Core messages*: 

*A) Prayer, especially the Rosary*

Mary repeatedly prays the Rosary with Bernadette.

Lourdes reminds us that prayer is not escape, but relationship.

*B) Penance and conversion* 

“Penance, penance, penance.”

A call not to guilt, but to turn back to God with sincerity.

*C) Care for the sick and suffering* 

Lourdes has become a global center of compassion.

It proclaims that human dignity remains even in weakness.

*D) Humility*

Mary appears not to the powerful, but to a poor, sickly, uneducated girl.

God’s grace flows where hearts are humble.

*E) Hope beyond suffering* 

Not all are physically healed—but many are spiritually transformed.

Lourdes teaches that healing is deeper than cure.

*3) Significance of This Feast* 

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is also observed as the World Day of the Sick, which deepens its meaning.

*Its significance lies in this truth*:

God is not distant from pain.

Faith does not eliminate suffering, but transfigures it.

The Church is called to be a place where the wounded are not hidden, but embraced.

Just as Cana moves from embarrassment to abundance, Lourdes moves from suffering to hope-filled trust.

*4) Relevance for Today*

In our modern world, the message of Lourdes and Cana is strikingly relevant.

*Today we face*:

Emotional and mental illness

Burnout and spiritual dryness

A culture that avoids weakness and vulnerability

*Lourdes speaks clearly*:

Bring your emptiness to Christ.

Trust Mary’s intercession when you don’t know what to pray.

Allow God to work through ordinary means.

Let compassion—not efficiency—define how we treat the suffering.

Like the servants at Cana, we are not asked to understand everything—only to fill the jars and trust.

*5) Points to Ponder* 

Mary still notices when the “wine” of joy, hope, or faith runs out.

Jesus still transforms what we place in His hands.

Lourdes reminds us that faith is lived not in perfection, but in trustful surrender.

The sick, the weak, and the poor are not on the margins of the Church—they are at its heart.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*