Abbey-Roads2

And sinners.

I’ve been thinking of Lourdes daily since February 11th, thanks to my Magnificat - the apparition of Our Lady to St. Bernadette is depicted on the cover of the prayerbook.  The apparitions took place every day from February 11 until the feast of the Annunciation in 1858.  (On this date, February 18, Our Lady asked Bernadette to return every day for a fortnight.)  The last apparition occurred on July 16th, feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which seemed to presage Fatima, since in Our Lady’s last appearance there, she appeared clothed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  Carmel signifies penance, and in both apparitions Our Lady called for penance and prayers for sinners.

Our Lady is most definitely the Refuge of Sinners, and her apparitions are always missions of love, pleading for souls, and asking for penance and prayer for the conversion of sinners.  She told Bernadette she could “not promise her happiness in this life, but only in the next.”   When questioned what the Holy Virgin meant by sinners, or rather, what is a sinner, Bernadette answered, “A person who loves sin.”

Obstinate sinners.

I have always been fascinated by St. Bernadette’s very simple explanation, and it has helped me understand the gravity of sin and its consequences.  To be obstinate in loving sin, one must essentially reject God and the right order of good - that is, the Law of God.  Mortal sin makes man an enemy of God.  Every mortal sin we commit insults God by rebellion or disobedience, by lack of gratitude for his gifts, in contempt for God.  To persist in sin is what it means to be obstinate in sin, and therefore a sinner, or “one who loves sin.”  This may sound  strange,  but many sinners may love the pleasure of sin, yet hate the sin itself - habitual sinners would understand that.  In addition, habitual sinners are not always obstinate sinners.

Our Lady understands well that life on earth is indeed “a vale of tears”, as we say in her prayer, and the Blessed Virgin knows that “nothing the world affords comes from the Father.”- (Jn 2:16)  The Blessed Mother  also respects man’s free will, and she recognizes that man’s tendency is for good, hence the Blessed Virgin has compassion on our feeble attempts at charity, as well as our longing for love, no matter how disordered.   Therefore, as she explained to Bernadette, she seeks to correct our mistaken notions of fulfillment  when she told the saint,  “I cannot make you happy in this world, but only in the next.”  That is not to say our life on earth is joyless at all, in fact, living according to the commandments and loving God is the only source of genuine happiness on earth, as Jesus taught us.

True happiness.

“Anyone who loves me will be true to my word, and my father will love him; we will come to him and make our dwelling place with him.”(Jn 14:23)  That is heaven on earth!  The beginning of eternal beatitude.  Jesus consoles us further:

“My peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace.” (Jn 14:27)  The world’s peace is false and unstable, thus leading  souls untroubled along the easy way that leads to hell.  Jesus encourages faithful souls when he says:

“Live on in my love.  You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and live in his love.  All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.”(Jn. 15:10-11)  Thus we understand what Our Lady’s instruction to Bernadette meant when she said, “I cannot make you happy in this world, but only in the next.”   Bernadette suffered throughout her life, no doubt, yet she also experienced supernatural joy.   Our Lady taught her the true road of happiness, illuminating her on the difference between the sinner’s contentment, and the joy and peace which is the lot of those who repent and submit to God. 

Vain rejoicing. 

On the other hand, the sinner vainly seeks his happiness and fulfilment in worldly compromise.  Rebelling against God, he perverts the law and the prophets according to his own design.  Or rejecting them all together, he refuses obedience to God, and justifies his sin with worldly wisdom that is foolishness in the sight of God.  Self-satisfaction with his cleverness, leads to a complacency misunderstood as peace of conscience… the false and dangerous peace of the world.  As the psalmist affirms, “Sin speaks to the sinner in the depths of his heart.  There is no fear of God before his eyes.  He so flatters himself in his mind, that he knows not his guilt.”(Ps. 35)

The love of the Mother of God compels her to roam the earth seeking sinners, weeping and mourning in this vale of tears, pleading with us to pray and sacrifice for their conversion.  We must heed Our Lady’s call to penance and pray for the conversion of sinners.  A soul who loves sin,  is in danger of condemning himself to hell forever.  It is the worst calamity in the world.  Such souls need to be brought before the Holy Virgin, refuge of obstinate sinners; she can refuse no one who has recourse to her, neither the sinner, or the repentant sinner praying for his brother.  

[Photo credit: Hallowed Ground]