This evening Sister Mary Claire and I sat by the fireplace while the fire burned softly. Mini was curled up on the rug, resting her head on her paws. I was reading aloud from my book Our Lady of Lourdes.
Tonight I read how Bernadette returned home after seeing the mysterious Lady and had to tell her parents she must return to the Grotto for fifteen days. Soon the story spread everywhere. It was market day in Lourdes, and by evening people across the valleys were talking about the visions.
Crowds began gathering at the Grotto. At first there were about a hundred people, then hundreds more, and soon thousands.
But the strange thing was that the people saw almost nothing.
They only saw a poor little girl kneeling and praying.
Sister Mary Claire said that sometimes the greatest things God does are hidden. Bernadette could see the Lady, but most people only saw her faith.
Many people believed, but others laughed and said Bernadette must be imagining things. The learned men used big words and tried to explain it as an illness.
Yet when people spoke with Bernadette, they saw how simp truthful she was.
What touched me most was that Bernadette was only a little girl, and yet she quietly kept returning to the Grotto to pray.
That seemed the most beautiful thing of all.
After I finished reading, we sat quietly watching the fire for a while. I thought about Bernadette and about praying with a simple heart.
Before bed we said our prayer.
Evening Prayer
Dear Blessed Mother of Lourdes, please give me a simple and faithful heart like Bernadette’s. Help me to believe and to pray with love.
Watch over Sister Mary Claire and our dear little Mini tonight.
Amen.
Love,
Kathy
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