Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

The designs of God are incomprehensible. Precisely in a century of arrogance and pride, in a century of rationalism that claimed to have put an end to all that is supernatural and divine; in a nation where every effort was made to extend and propagate all errors, errors founded on admitting nothing but the purely natural order, which is why not only original sin was denied, but even the elevation of human nature; where divine intervention in human affairs was refused; precisely in that era and in that nation, God Our Lord chose to destroy the foundation of all errors; and for this purpose, He used what seemed to be the most despicable instrument. It was a poor, weak, and ignorant girl, who knew nothing but how to pray the Holy Rosary, whom God used to conquer the world, confound the proud, humble the wise, and achieve such a remarkable victory. In Lourdes, the supernatural is ever-present, as evidenced by the mysterious spring that flows there and the astonishing effects produced by its waters. There, naturalism has received its harshest blow, and faith a wondrous confirmation. Let us guard ourselves against all errors that could in the slightest tarnish our faith, let us rekindle it more and more each day, and let us repeat with the Prophet concerning the Church what he said of Jerusalem: “May my right hand wither, O Lord, and may my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth rather than cease to love and praise you, O Holy Church!”

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

A few years ago, a town located on the slopes of the Pyrenees was hardly known in the world; nobody mentioned it, remaining in the darkness of oblivion and among the snows that crown its mountains.

But what an astonishing change has taken place! Today his name is on everyone's lips, has crossed mountains, has overcome distances, and is pronounced with enthusiasm and love in America as well as in Europe, in Africa as well as in Asia, and in vast Oceania, and especially in the Philippines. What a miracle has been wrought!

It was February 11, 1858, when a simple and humble girl named Bernadette, attempting to cross the Gave River west of Lourdes to gather firewood, as her sister Marie and another friend had done, among the winding rocks of Massabielle, heard a sound like a gentle breeze slowly stirring the branches of the trees. She looked up, but her eyes saw nothing; the rustling of the branches continued, and she looked again; then a heavenly vision appeared before her. A Lady surrounded by a light brighter than the sun, yet one that neither harms nor dazzles like the sun, but rather attracts and inspires awe; a Lady of incomparable beauty, covered with a veil whiter than the snow on the nearby hilltops, and girded with a blue sash. Her feet, of such wondrous beauty, rested on the rock, lightly touching the branches of a wild rosebush, revealing a golden rose on each foot. Her hands, clasped together, held a rosary, its alabaster beads, strung on a gold chain, gliding between her fingers, yet maintaining a mysterious silence. The eyes of the exalted Lady had fixed, full of kindness, upon the child, who stood astonished, enraptured, and as if beside herself. The Lady made the sign of the cross, and the child, taking her rosary, began to pray it. The heavenly vision lasted until she finished; and when it was over, the celestial Apparition returned to the eternal abode from whence she had come, leaving behind a ray of light, which soon also vanished.

Prayer for this day

O Immaculate Mary! I humbly ask you for the grace that our faith may increase more and more each day, and that you may obtain a ray of divine light for those who sit in the darkness of sin. Extend the Kingdom of God further, banish all errors from among us, and grant that the Philippines, and this city especially, may always consider it their greatest glory to live in the faith of your Most Holy Son, and that its inhabitants may remain united to the Holy Roman Church until their last breath. For this purpose, we pray the following Hail Marys and supplications.

Three Hail Marys, adding after each one "Virgin of Lourdes, pray for us"

Prayer of Saint Bernard

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

One of the most important documents of the Christian life is the practice of prayer. It is the ordinary means that God has placed in the hands of humankind to obtain the remedy for all our needs. Our prayer rises to heaven, and divine compassion and mercy descend upon us in the form of countless favors and sovereign graces. “Ask and you will receive,” our Divine Savior has told us, “Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Nothing purifies the understanding from ignorance and the heart from disordered affections like prayer, which inflames the heart with the fire of divine love and fills the understanding with divine clarity and celestial light: it is blessed water, whose irrigation makes the plants of good desires flourish and wash our souls cleanse them of the passions of the heart.

“Let us pray,” said Bernadette, “and let us pray the rosary.” Let us also pray with her and be constant in prayer, for only in this way can we be freed from the snares and traps that our infernal enemy is continually laying for us. Let us pray without ceasing, as the Apostle advises us, and let us pray fervently, for the times in which we live are evil, and the storm rages by the moment, and only through prayer can we emerge unscathed from the many dangers to which we are exposed.

Meditate on what you have read and ask for the grace you wish to obtain through this novena.

Historical section

On the Sunday following the first day of the apparition, having obtained permission from her devout mother to return to the grotto, Bernadette went there at midday, accompanied by her sister and other girls. The group of young people began by entering the church to pray briefly and fill a small bottle they had brought with holy water.

They then set out and arrived at the long-awaited place; the sun was radiant: “Let us pray,” said Bernadette, “and let us say the rosary…” Suddenly, her face appeared transfigured, her gaze lit up, her features moved: the wondrous apparition had just revealed itself to her eyes. She saw the Lady herself, resplendent with heavenly grace, with unparalleled beauty. Her feet rested on the rock inside the niche.

“Look!” exclaimed Bernadette, “There she is!” But alas! Her friends were not allowed to behold such beauty, and they could not see what filled Bernadette with such ecstasy. Receiving holy water from one of her friends, she sprinkled it on the Apparition, saying, “If you come from God, come closer.” At these words, the Virgin graciously bowed several times and came forward almost to the edge of the rock, as if she were smiling.

“If you come from God, come closer!” Bernadette repeated; and then, prostrating herself, as if overcome by that ineffable beauty, she continued praying the rosary, which the Virgin seemed to hear, slipping her own rosary between her fingers. When the rosary was finished, the vision disappeared.

Prayer for this day

O Immaculate Virgin, my Most Holy Mother! I already see the lessons of eternal life you give me in the grotto of Lourdes. You teach me the practice of prayer, so highly recommended by your Most Holy Son; and in the special pleasure with which you move the beads of the rosary that hangs from your hands, while Bernadette devoutly moves those of hers, you make me understand the favor with which you regard this beautiful devotion and how pleased you are that your servants honor and invoke you with it. I will do so, Lady, and from this day forward I resolve not to let a single day pass without praying at least a part of the Holy Rosary. I beg you to keep me constant in this purpose and that I may always pray it with fervor and devotion. I greet you now with the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

Great and sublime is Mary's concern and solicitude for humankind. "Not only do I not object," she tells Bernadette, "to your companions coming with you, but I desire that many people come." The most exalted creature, the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, calls to humankind, invites them, and desires that they approach her and express their needs with the utmost confidence, for she is powerful before her Most Holy Son to obtain the remedy for them all. Children of humankind, will you refuse to heed the call of such a loving mother? If your intelligence is clouded by the darkness of error, if your will is attached to sinful objects, if your heart is a plaything of vile and abominable passions, if you find yourselves in great need and affliction or groan under the weight of troublesome and importunate temptations, why not turn to Mary who calls you with those most sweet words of her Divine Son: "Come to me, all you who labor and are weary, and I will give you rest"?

But although the Blessed Virgin calls to all men, and loves them all, she has shown a special predilection for those who honor her by conforming their lives to the rules of the Associations or Confraternities to which they belong; and they can certainly expect special favors and more particular protection from her. Affiliated with their banners, let us at all times show ourselves to be her true servants; let us never be ashamed to appear devoted to this Lady nor to visibly display the emblem of such devotion on appropriate occasions, for it truly does not demean or debase us, but rather exalts and dignifies us. She has said: “I love those who love me. Those who enlighten me will obtain eternal life.”

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

After attending Holy Mass on February 18th at six in the morning, Bernadette went to the Grotto with a lady from Lourdes and a young woman from the Congregation of Mary. Arriving first, the girl knelt down, began to pray the Rosary, and soon saw a brilliant light illuminating the hollow in the rock, followed immediately by a heavenly vision. She heard a voice calling her and saw the apparition beckoning her closer. "There she is," she said to her companions (who had already guessed it, seeing her face transfigured by ecstasy), "and she's beckoning me to come closer." "Ask her if she minds us being here with you."

Bernadette looked at the Virgin and after a short while replied, "You may stay." The two women knelt and lit a blessed candle they had brought with them. At her companions' urging, the girl stepped forward, receiving from them the paper, ink, and quill they gave her. She presented these items to the Apparition, saying, "My Lady, if you have something to tell me, I would like you to be so kind as to write on this paper who you are and what you wish." The Virgin smiled at this simple request and, parting her lips slightly, said, "What I have to tell you does not need to be written down. Simply do me the favor of coming here for fifteen days." "I promise," Bernadette replied.

“And I, in turn, promise to make you happy,” the Virgin repeated, “not in this world, but in the next.” Bernadette, without taking her eyes off the Apparition, turned toward her companions, but noticed that the Virgin fixed her gaze and lingered for a long time with pleasure on the young woman who belonged to the Congregation of Mary. “The Lady is looking at you at this moment.” Antonia, as the young woman was called, heard these words with great joy and as if in a trance, and she lived with this memory forever.

"Ask her if she minds us coming to accompany you." "They can come with you," replied the Blessed Virgin, "not only them but other people as well; I wish to see many people here."

Prayer for this day

Most Holy Virgin of Lourdes! Grateful for the countless blessings I have received through your intercession, and especially for your descent from heaven to earth to call me, I offer myself anew to your service, and I consecrate to you my faculties and senses, preferring a thousand times to die rather than offend your divine Son, my Redeemer and all my good. Confirm, Lady, this my good desire, and make me your faithful devotee on earth, so that I may reign eternally with you in heaven. And in order to obtain this favor, I greet you with the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

The Blessed Virgin Mary greatly desires that prayers be offered for sinners. And indeed, it cannot be otherwise: the world was created by God for His glory; man was made in His image and likeness, and redeemed afterward at the cost of the most precious blood of His Most Holy Son. Man is bound to honor, serve, and revere Him; but, oh sorrow!, men have turned against their God and Lord and continually offend Him. One cannot hear so many horrible blasphemies without anguish; one cannot look, without uttering a cry of pain, upon the profanation of the Lord's holy days, transformed today, by the perversion of men, into days of labor, of filthy bacchanals, and bloody orgies. The nations have risen up against Christ and His Church: error and impiety reign everywhere, and sensuality rises like a wave upon the present generation, threatening to engulf it. What is to be done? Praying to God… So many souls are lost every day… and shall we remain idle? This is one of the aims of this Confraternity: to pray to God for sinners. Do we faithfully fulfill this purpose? Do we dedicate some time each day to prayer for the reduction of sins? Let us meditate on the sorrow shown by the Blessed Virgin in this Apparition, and let us resolve to reduce sins in ourselves and in our neighbors, especially blasphemy and the profanation of holy days.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

News of the apparitions, as well as Bernadette's promise to visit the site of the manifestations for fifteen days, had spread throughout the region. People flocked to the Grotto from all over, and by sunrise on February 21st, thousands were gathered there, waiting to witness what was happening on the rocks of Massabielle.

The girl, fulfilling her promise to the Lady, made her way through the crowd, unaffected yet undisturbed, and reached the vicinity of the niche. Within moments, her face transformed, becoming radiant; all her features lifted, and as if she were entering a higher realm, they expressed otherworldly feelings. Her mouth, slightly open, seemed petrified with wonder; her fixed, blissful eyes beheld a divine beauty that no one else saw but that all sensed, seeing it, so to speak, in the reflection on the girl's face.

Dr. Dozous was standing beside her, and seeing her in this state, he observed her closely, took her pulse, and after a while exclaimed: "No, this is not the rigidity of catalepsy; there is no feverish excitement here, nor the unconscious ecstasy of the hallucinating; here is a completely extraordinary fact for medicine."

At that moment, the kneeling girl took a few steps and continued in this posture toward the interior of the Grotto. The Mother of Mercy seemed to gaze sadly at the ground. Bernadette, seeing her filled with sorrow, exclaimed, "What is the matter? What must we do?" The exalted Mother of God replied, "Pray for sinners." Meanwhile, the innocent shepherdess's heart was filled with bitterness at seeing the sorrow manifested by the Blessed Virgin; and her face, which had previously appeared radiant, was covered with unspeakable sadness, while two large tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, where they stopped without reaching the ground.

Prayer for this day

O Mother of fair love, of fear, and of holy hope! At your feet I come weeping, ashamed, and confused. I am the one who, with my sins, filled your heart with bitterness and your face with sadness. But I do not despair, knowing that you are all-kind and that you receive with a heart of mercy all who come to you repentant. To you I come, Lady, with a heart torn by the pain of my sins and resolved to die a thousand times rather than commit them again. Turn your merciful eyes upon me and save me. Look also with compassion upon all sinners and draw them to the grace of your Most Holy Son. For their conversion and salvation, I pray the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

Jesus Christ himself told us: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” Anyone who wants to live and belong to Christ must endure tribulation and the bitterness of persecution. The world cannot accept the Lord's teachings because they are contrary to its own. Hence the irony and mockery directed by worldly people at those who dedicate themselves to devotion and strive to sanctify their souls by living according to the principles of the Gospel. Nevertheless, in this struggle between good and evil, we must not lose heart. If the world criticizes, ridicules, and taunts us, we have within ourselves the testimony of a clear conscience and the approval and favor of God and all the heavenly court.

Never did the Virgin look upon Bernadette with more benign and approving eyes than when she saw her persecuted and slandered.

The Lord sends tribulations to his servants to test their faithfulness, to purify them more and more from their imperfections, and to give them the opportunity to gain greater merit for eternal life. The sorrows and labors of this life are like the seal of God's favor upon a soul. No one in the world loved God or was loved by God as much as Jesus and Mary, but neither did anyone suffer in this life as much as they did.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

The events that took place in the Grotto were so public and extraordinary that no one could remain indifferent. Impiety, seeing the religious fervor growing and eager to put an end to this manifestation of the supernatural, which was its clear condemnation, sought to use force and threats, as it indeed did, taking Bernadette to court and threatening her with penalties and punishments, even imprisonment. At the girl's young age, impiety could well have believed its triumph assured; but it was ignorant of the power and grace of God, who delights in choosing the weakest to confound the strongest in the world. Thus, despite the prohibitions placed upon the girl, feeling a strong inspiration calling her to the grotto, on the morning of February 23rd, she went there. Kneeling, with a candle in one hand and the rosary in the other, she began to pray, when, after a short time, the crowd noticed the sudden transformation of her face. The august Sovereign of Paradise fixed upon the poor child a gaze full of inexplicable tenderness, seeming to love her even more since she had suffered. Then she lovingly called her by her own name: "Bernardita!" "Here I am," the child replied. And the Blessed Virgin engaged her in an intimate, even familiar, conversation. In that mysterious intimacy, she revealed a secret to her alone. "And now," she said, "go and tell the priests that I want a chapel built here for me." And as she spoke these words, the Blessed Virgin's countenance, her gaze, and her gesture seemed to promise that she would bestow countless graces there. Bernadette faithfully carried out the task entrusted to her.

Prayer for this day

Most Holy Virgin Mary, my Mother! I come to you weary and exhausted from struggling with life's adversities. My heart, like a fragile little boat, is tossed about by the winds of tribulation, at the mercy of the world's raging waves, and is in constant danger of striking the reefs of sin or falling into the abyss of despair. To you I lift my eyes, you who are the Star of the Sea; show me the safe course, guide the ship yourself so that it may not founder on the stormy sea of temptations and trials, but reach the blessed port of eternal salvation. To obtain this grace, I greet you with the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

After the Blessed Virgin Mary recommends that we pray for sinners, she also recommends that we repent and do penance for our sins. Her insistent repetition of the word, "Penance, penance, penance," is truly worthy of consideration. It is like the loving cry of alarm from the heart of a mother who sees her beloved child in grave danger. Seeing, indeed, from her eternal dwelling place, the sins and iniquities continually committed in the world; her heart oppressed, on the one hand by the offenses committed against God, and on the other by the punishments to which humankind deserves; seeing the divine right hand already raised to strike down upon wretched sinners, she comes forward, descends to earth, and warns us with maternal solicitude to do penance for our sins, for only by doing it with true humility and sorrow can we be freed from the punishments that threaten us. Perhaps the words of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the ax is already at the root of the tree, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire,” could not be more aptly applied to any other age than to the present. Let us engrave these words of the Baptist on our hearts, and let us do true and worthy penance for our sins.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

Miraculous events were a constant presence in Lourdes and the surrounding area. The crowds that flocked to the Grotto and the remarkable transformations reported about Bernadette had aroused the curiosity even of those who, until then, out of a profound disdain for what they called superstition, had refused to mingle with the throngs to examine the events more closely. They resolved, therefore, to visit the Grotto from then on, if only to witness the popular amazement. One of these strong-willed or freethinking individuals, who believed in nothing supernatural, went to the Grotto the day after the Blessed Virgin had requested that a chapel be built for her. He himself will recount his entirely unsuspecting impressions.

“I arrived,” says Mr. Estrada, “fully prepared to examine everything, and frankly, to mock and laugh, expecting to find a comedy or a grotesque farce. An immense crowd was gradually gathering around those places, and I inwardly admired the simplicity of so many fools and laughed at the credulity of a number of women who had devoutly knelt before the rocks. At the usual time, around sunrise, Bernadette arrived. Thanks to my efforts, I was able, not without considerable difficulty, to get to the front row, near her. She knelt naturally, without being disturbed or flustered by the crowd surrounding her, took out a rosary, and began to pray. Very soon her eyes seemed to receive and reflect an unknown light, remaining fixed, and gazing in wonder, ecstatic, radiant with happiness, at the opening in the rock.” I looked in that direction and saw nothing but the bare branches of the wild rosebush. And yet, what can I say? Before the child's transfiguration, all my previous worries, all my philosophical objections, all my preconceived negations fell away at once, giving way to an extraordinary feeling that overwhelmed me despite myself. I felt the certainty that a mysterious being was there. Suddenly and completely transfigured, Bernadette was no longer Bernadette; she was an angel from heaven. Her posture, her movements, her slightest gestures, her manner, for example, of making the sign of the cross, possessed such admirable nobility, dignity, and grandeur that if they were to make the sign of the cross in heaven, they could only do so as Bernadette did in ecstasy. I was deeply moved; She tried to hold her breath to hear the conversation between the Virgin and the girl, the latter usually expressing both profound respect and immense joy, although sometimes a cloud of sadness would momentarily veil her face. During all that time, she kept her rosary in her hand, sometimes motionless, lost in contemplation of that divine being, sometimes passing it irregularly between her fingers, or now resuming her usual movements. Thus far, Mr. Estrada.

At one point, Bernadette moved forward on her knees from where she had been praying, that is, from the banks of the Gave River, to the back of the Grotto, which was about fifteen meters away. As she climbed that somewhat steep slope, she heard from the most blessed lips of the Blessed Virgin Mary these words: "Penance, penance, penance," which, repeated by Bernadette, were clearly heard by those who were with her.

Prayer for this day

Prostrate before the throne of Your Majesty, my God, I implore Your piety and mercy. I come to You repentant, like the prodigal son, for having strayed from You through sin, and I wish to erase with my tears and even with my blood the offenses I have committed against You. Forgive me, Lord! I do not deserve it, for many times I have despised Your grace and relapsed into sin; but on this day, my heart is moved with special repentance for my sins and a desire never to commit them again. You, Mother of Mercy, who do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live; You who admonish me through Bernadette to do penance for my sins, help me to do it worthy and completely for all of them. And so that You may obtain for me the grace never to commit them again, I pray the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

Very great and sovereign is the reward promised to obedience. Bernadette sees the muddy water, which trickled in small amounts from the hole she had dug in the ground; she hears the command of the Vision to drink that water and wash with it, and by faithfully fulfilling it, she deserves that the Virgin fix upon her a most benevolent gaze, thus richly rewarding the effort she made in obeying the command. Perhaps nothing will cost our pride so much as having to humble ourselves to confess our sins to the minister of God. But, oh! If sinners knew the delights hidden in the salutary pool of penance, they would certainly hasten to wash in it and purify themselves of all their sins; if they knew the most precious gift that Jesus offers them; If they would heed Jesus' invitation to "drink this water," they would be convinced that the joy and inner peace found in the sacrament of penance surpasses all human peace and joy, and that the consolations it provides are above all a profound consolation. Try it, sinners, and you will experience it.

Let the main fruit that we get from this Novena be to make a good confession in honor of the Blessed Virgin before finishing it.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

Each day, the immense throng of people flocking to the Grotto grew. Drawn by the universal admiration, many skeptics, freethinkers, and the merely curious had come, intending to mock or uncover some unworthy deception. It was in this state of mind that Bernadette appeared on February 25th, fulfilling the promise she had made to the heavenly Vision to visit the Grotto for fifteen days. Overwhelmed by an inexplicable emotion upon seeing the child, they removed their hats and knelt like everyone else. The favored shepherdess, oblivious to everything around her and thinking only of the heavenly Apparition, knelt and began to pray. Soon, her face was transformed, and everyone believed they saw the Blessed Virgin in the rays of light reflected on Bernadette's features, just as the rays of light illuminating mountain peaks reveal the sun's presence on the horizon.

A mysterious conversation unfolds between the Queen of Heaven and the humble shepherdess of the earth, the former not disdaining to share a third secret with the latter. "And now," the Virgin added after a pause, "go and drink and wash yourself at the spring and eat the grass that grows beside it." Bernadette was intrigued at the word "spring," and without taking her eyes off the Virgin, she went towards the river, for in those parts there was no water other than what the Gave carried a few steps from the rocks.

A word and a gesture from the Apparition stopped her in her tracks. "It's not there," she said; "I didn't tell you to drink from the Gave, but from the spring here." Bernadette began to dig in the earth, in the place the Apparition indicated. Suddenly, the bottom of the hollow the girl had dug became damp. A mysterious water began to seep drop by drop beneath Bernadette's hands, filling the cup-sized hole that had just formed.

That water, when mixed with the earth turned over by the girl's hands, initially formed nothing but mud. Bernadette tried three times to bring that muddy liquid to her lips; but three times her aversion was so strong that she spit it out, too weak to swallow it. Nevertheless, she wanted above all to obey the radiant Apparition, and on the fourth try, she overcame her revulsion, drank, washed, and ate a little of the wildflower that grew at the foot of the rock.

When Bernadette had fulfilled all the orders she had received, the Virgin fixed a look of satisfaction upon her and disappeared a few moments later.

Prayer for this day

Most Holy Virgin Mary, my Mother! As I approach the end of this novena, which I am celebrating in your honor, I no longer wish to resist the inner promptings that urge me to seal it with a good confession of all my sins. Yes, I wish to make a good confession so that I may worthily receive your Most Holy Son on the last day of the novena. You, Lady, who inspire this desire in me, obtain for me the grace to do so, so that my confession may be pleasing in your divine sight, and my soul may be entirely purified, and henceforth lead a perfectly Christian life in accordance with the precepts of divine law. With this intention, I pray the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

Worthy of consideration is the manner in which the water flows from the miraculous spring. At first, the water begins to trickle out drop by drop; soon after, it is a barely perceptible stream; and growing ceaselessly, it eventually forms a spring that yields more than one hundred thousand liters of water daily. Prayer must be persevering. This is why the graces and favors requested of the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary are often not received, because they are not asked for with constancy. For mysterious reasons, they are not ordinarily granted except after persistent and steadfast prayer. The graces one receives in the manner of the miraculous spring generally do not produce sudden changes, which is why it has been said that no one suddenly becomes a saint, just as no one becomes utterly wicked in a single stroke. God our Lord can grant us most efficacious graces in a single moment, graces that produce a sudden transformation in us, but ordinarily, He grants them to us according to our cooperation and response to them. Every day, how many times has God touched our hearts!… And is it possible that we remain deaf and do not heed His call? We have an abundant source of all graces in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is Jesus, the Author of all good, who from the Most Sacred Host says to us: “Come to Me, all you who are called.” Let us draw near to this fountain of divine love to quench our thirst for earthly things, and desire only those that are heavenly and eternal.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

The water that at first trickled so faintly from the bowels of the earth gradually increased until it became a gushing spring. Driven by a secret inspiration, people came to drink from that water, and even the sick, many of whom science considered incurable, were healed of their ailments after bathing in it. With these miracles, religious fervor and devotion grew by the moment; and the people, even though the Apparition had not revealed her identity, believed that she could be none other than the Mother of God. Bernadette, who also longed to know who the beautiful Lady was, upon seeing her on March 25th, as always, surrounded by indescribable light and with unparalleled kindness, dared to tell her:

"Madam, would you be so kind as to tell me who you are and what your name is?"

The blessed Apparition smiled without answering. Encouraged by her benevolence, Bernadette persisted: “O Lady! Would you be so kind as to tell me your name?” The radiance of the Apparition increased, as if she were growing in joy; but still she did not answer. Bernadette, enraptured by this beauty, redoubled her entreaties, uttering these words for the third time: “Lady, would you be so kind as to tell me your name?” Despite so many entreaties, the Apparition remained silent. The girl, as if guided by a higher inspiration, said for the fourth time: “O Lady! I beg you, would you be so kind as to tell me who you are and what your name is?” At this last plea, the Apparition unfolded her hands, suspended the rosary from her right arm, opened her arms, and inclined them to the ground, as if to indicate the blessings she would bestow upon the earth. Then, raising them towards heaven, she pronounced with unspeakable gratitude: "I am the Immaculate Conception."

Prayer for this day

O Immaculate Mary, all beautiful, pure, and without stain from the first instant of your Conception! Obtain for me purity of soul and body, and cleansing from all sin, so that I may worthily approach the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar. If the thirsty deer hastens to the clear waters to quench its thirst, so thirsts my soul to approach this Sacrament of goodness and love. Obtain for me, Holy Virgin, such grace as I receive your Most Holy Son in Holy Communion tomorrow, that I may never cast Him out of my soul through sin, for without Jesus, who is my life, my joy, and all my consolation, I cannot live, nor have peace in my heart. To obtain this, I greet you with the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.

Pray the Act of Contrition and the Preparatory Prayer.

Meditation

It is a great consolation for us to consider Mary's maternal solicitude for humankind. No one in this life can fully comprehend all that Mary has done and continues to do to save us. As the Mother of Mercy, as the Church calls her, she is the channel through which we receive all the graces God wishes to bestow upon us.

With great tenderness she communicates them to the righteous, so that they may persevere in the service of the Lord; with great solicitude she obtains them and sends them to the sinner, so that, even in the midst of their wanderings, their heart may not harden, but they may come to their senses, be converted, and be saved. If anyone is lost, let them blame no one but themselves for their perdition, for God has revealed to us in His Mother in these latter times, through Bernadette, all the treasures of His grace and love. We who have the joy of being the object of Mary's maternal solicitude and who have consecrated ourselves to her by entering her Confraternity, let us conduct ourselves as her true children and devotees, fulfilling the obligations we undertook when we were reborn in the waters of baptism; for in this consists true and principal devotion to Mary. Let us flee with the utmost care and diligence from all that can lead us astray from the straight path that leads us to heaven; From bad reading, from false friends, from dangerous meetings, because by guarding ourselves, God will also guard us and sustain us so that we do not fall from his divine grace.

Meditate on what has been said and ask each one for the grace he wishes to obtain through this Novena.

Historical section

The Blessed Virgin had appeared to Bernadette eighteen times, the last time on the day the Church dedicates to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On many occasions, multitudes of people had witnessed the remarkable transformation the apparition brought about in the girl. A mysterious spring had gushed forth beneath the shepherdess's hands, guided by the Lady's instructions; many sick in body and soul had recovered their health; and yet, despite all this, the freethinkers obstinately refused to deny everything, refusing to submit to the evidence presented to them by the Catholics. The impious have always been the same; those who so vehemently proclaim the rights of reason are the least respectful when they cease to be favorable to them. But as far as the apparition of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes is concerned, even if they had wished to persevere in following their aforementioned system, it would have been of no use to them, for the events had unfolded in such a wondrous manner that they were inevitably humbled and confounded, without recourse to appeal.

From the depths of a desolate rock, heralded by the voice of a young girl, the supernatural had made its way, overcoming all obstacles, drawing crowds, and winning over all hearts that sincerely sought the truth. The Bishop of Tarbes, after the most meticulous investigation of the facts, confirmed the truth of the apparitions by a decree of January 18, 1862. Since then, the entire Catholic world, eager to respond to the wishes of the Blessed Virgin, has answered her call, and every year many thousands of pilgrims from all corners of the globe come to Lourdes. In this Novena, we too have sought to honor her who descended from heaven for our benefit.

Prayer for this day

Immaculate and Most Holy Mother of God! You have given me sublime lessons in this Novena; I have received wholesome and loving invitations; I do not wish to be ungrateful or obstinate. I resolutely resolve to serve God faithfully, to love Him with all the affection of my soul, and to honor You as my dearest Mother. Imprint these intentions on my heart so that I may never forget them; obtain for me the grace to persevere constantly in these holy thoughts until I breathe my last, meriting, now and forever, Your protection, until I have the joy of enjoying in Heaven the infinite delights that God has prepared for those who love Him. And so that these resolutions of mine may be more acceptable to You, I greet You with the following Hail Marys and supplications.

The Hail Marys are recited as on the first day, followed by the final prayer.