Me getting my feet washed
The Fort overlooking the town
Baths entrance
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
More Memories!
Me getting my feet washed
The Fort overlooking the town
Thankfulness
The fourth day in Lourdes, France we had a Eucharistic procession where all of the malades from all over the world gathered in the square. They processed in lines and one by one I saw their beautiful faces, young and old. Many of these malades had deformations and mental illness. I could not image what they were going through and I thought to myself, I am a lot better off than these people. At that moment all I could be was grateful that God has given me life and an illness to open my eyes to learn to suffer with love.
When we are sick we rely on doctors to heal us, but we need God as well. Being a sick person myself, I know how it can be when times get tough and you cannot rely on people, only God. After my conversion back to Christ, the Holy Spirit has been working through me and gave me wisdom about God's goodness and truth. Through Christ and my Catholic faith, I now understand what suffering and love mean. Likewise, I understand why Jesus had to die for us and where I am going. These truths have made me see life in a whole new perspective. I am now living for my creator by loving and serving him through my suffering. Therefore, my life is beautiful because I know the truth and I know my goal; heaven. My real home, OUR real home.
" Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 8:39
When we are sick we rely on doctors to heal us, but we need God as well. Being a sick person myself, I know how it can be when times get tough and you cannot rely on people, only God. After my conversion back to Christ, the Holy Spirit has been working through me and gave me wisdom about God's goodness and truth. Through Christ and my Catholic faith, I now understand what suffering and love mean. Likewise, I understand why Jesus had to die for us and where I am going. These truths have made me see life in a whole new perspective. I am now living for my creator by loving and serving him through my suffering. Therefore, my life is beautiful because I know the truth and I know my goal; heaven. My real home, OUR real home.
" Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 8:39
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Marriage and the Love of Christ
On January 7, 2013, My sister was popped the question from her beloved boyfriend of one year, Jacob Ryan Nichols. The location, an historic yet beautiful Catholic Church in Novato, California. In Lourdes, my sister told me that Jacob had proposed to her in the replica Lourdes grotto on the grounds of the church. When I was informed about this, I knew this was a sign from God.
Throughout my trip, I was contemplating what Lourdes meant to me. First, it came to me when I was in the grotto. I was praying silently to Our Lady and looking at all of the people who were processing through the grotto, touching the rocks, lighting candles and putting their prayer intentions in the intentions box. Suddenly, I remembered the first day in which all of the sick people were able to go into the baths. The baths where we wash ourselves and hope for a healing. Finally, it all connected, Our Lady loves us so much that she gave us this special gift in order to know and understand true love and healing through God's love. Therefore, the grotto and the baths reminded me of Love and Marriage.
Marriage is the institution of a man and a woman for life. It is the sacrament in which the man and the woman are showing the world what God's love is. Through this, the couple's goals are to love like Christ and get each other to Heaven. However, we are all sinners, so God has given his grace to the couple through the sacrament of marriage in the church.
The coincidence of Jacob proposing to Mary at the replica of the grotto, and me actually experiencing Lourdes is incredible. It amazes me how Our Lady planned this out for Lourdes, to be a place where you can find God's love, and how God has shown his love for the world through the sacrament of marriage.
Throughout my trip, I was contemplating what Lourdes meant to me. First, it came to me when I was in the grotto. I was praying silently to Our Lady and looking at all of the people who were processing through the grotto, touching the rocks, lighting candles and putting their prayer intentions in the intentions box. Suddenly, I remembered the first day in which all of the sick people were able to go into the baths. The baths where we wash ourselves and hope for a healing. Finally, it all connected, Our Lady loves us so much that she gave us this special gift in order to know and understand true love and healing through God's love. Therefore, the grotto and the baths reminded me of Love and Marriage.
Marriage is the institution of a man and a woman for life. It is the sacrament in which the man and the woman are showing the world what God's love is. Through this, the couple's goals are to love like Christ and get each other to Heaven. However, we are all sinners, so God has given his grace to the couple through the sacrament of marriage in the church.
The coincidence of Jacob proposing to Mary at the replica of the grotto, and me actually experiencing Lourdes is incredible. It amazes me how Our Lady planned this out for Lourdes, to be a place where you can find God's love, and how God has shown his love for the world through the sacrament of marriage.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Pictures
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| Side of Basilica and location of baths. |
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| The Beautiful Rosary Basilica |
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| Washing of the feet |
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| Me at the Grotto |
Grotto at night
Getting blessed before going into the baths
At the stairs near the altar after the International Mass
Rosary Procession
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Me getting pulled in the carts
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Our Lady's messages
When our Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette, she said three profound things.
When Our Lady first appeared to Saint Bernadette she asked her why she was so beautiful. Our Lady responded, " I am beautiful because I love."
The second is when Our Lady told St. Bernadette her future of suffering. She said," I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the next."
The third and final message which is the miracle of Lourdes which is when Our Lady told Saint Bernadette to "wash yourself in the water."
When I was young, I remember my mother talking to me about St. Bernadette and the story of Lourdes. I specifically remember when I watched the movie, The Song of Bernadette for the first time. I remember all of it, but being in Lourdes where St. Bernadette walked and lived, it all connected.
Through the messages of Our Lady, I came to realize my suffering as a sick person. My end is only the beginning. Heaven is my beginning because there will be no suffering there. In the meantime, I can wash myself clean in the water present in Lourdes. We all have some sort of suffering whether, it being an illness, disease or disorder. Therefore, the messages apply to all of us and we can learn through these messages the great power and love of our heavenly mother.
When Our Lady first appeared to Saint Bernadette she asked her why she was so beautiful. Our Lady responded, " I am beautiful because I love."
The second is when Our Lady told St. Bernadette her future of suffering. She said," I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the next."
The third and final message which is the miracle of Lourdes which is when Our Lady told Saint Bernadette to "wash yourself in the water."
When I was young, I remember my mother talking to me about St. Bernadette and the story of Lourdes. I specifically remember when I watched the movie, The Song of Bernadette for the first time. I remember all of it, but being in Lourdes where St. Bernadette walked and lived, it all connected.
Through the messages of Our Lady, I came to realize my suffering as a sick person. My end is only the beginning. Heaven is my beginning because there will be no suffering there. In the meantime, I can wash myself clean in the water present in Lourdes. We all have some sort of suffering whether, it being an illness, disease or disorder. Therefore, the messages apply to all of us and we can learn through these messages the great power and love of our heavenly mother.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Suffering and Our Lady
When I stepped into the Rosary Basilica, I could not help but see beauty all around me. There were beautiful mosaics of the mysteries of the rosary which came to life once you looked at them. When I was praying in the church, I knelt down to pray in front of the first station of the Joyful mysteries. I looked up and I remembered my past and all of my sufferings and I could not help but realize that our blessed mother was with her son throughout his suffering.Moreover, our lady even chose to suffer so that Jesus would come into the world and die for us. It was finally clear to me that I was not alone in my suffering and I did not have to worry because my mother and father in heaven love me, and are there with me during my suffering. I started to cry feeling guilty for not seeing this before. Afterwards, I came out of the church feeling loved and blessed.
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