Dear friends,
On 11th February, every year the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette between February 11 and July 16, 1858, at the age of 14. She had a series of visions of the Virgin Mary in the nearby Massabielle grotto. Mary revealed her identity with the words “I am the Immaculate Conception” and gave her the message “Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners”. By saying penance three times, our Lady stresses on the conversion of heart and mind of humanity.
This is reminiscent of what was also said at Fatima, where Our Lady specifically asked for reparation of sins committed by people throughout the world. The conversion of sinners is something that should always be at the forefront of our minds, first starting with our own conversion.
St. John the Baptist, prepared the way of the Lord and also called the people to be prepared for the Lord through their own conversion (Mark 1, 3-4). Many listened to his cry but many rejected. Till today, the Church calls people for conversion of heart and mind. Mother Mary too calls each one of us not to harden our hearts but to repent and to do penance.
As we enter in the Lent Season, it is the same call and cry every time, to tear our hearts and not our clothes, to fast for sin and not to fast for good works, and to pray for each other’s conversion. May Mary our Loving Mother help us to hold on to God’s word, to do penance and to prepare our heart only for the Lord.
-Fr. Leslie Gomes