Lourdes: March 25, 1858, the Lady reveals her name
Almost at the end of the first fifteen apparitions, on March 1, during the twelfth apparition, the Lady confides three secrets to Bernadette, with this express recommendation: "I forbid you to tell anyone". Bernadette meets the Lady 4 more times, until March 25, the day the apparition reveals her name to her.
March 1st: first miracle and 12th apparition
Monday, March 1st, when it is still dark, he arrives at the Catherine Latapie Cave, who has arrived on foot from the nearby village of Loubajac. He dips his paralyzed arm into the spring water and immediately regains his mobility! He returns home immediately, because he must give birth to his fourth child on that very day. The healing of Catherine Latapie is the first miracle of Lourdes. Along the way, this woman met a little girl with a hood on her head, Bernadette, who went to her twelfth meeting with Aqueró (in Bigordino dialect). During this 12th apparition, the "young woman" revealed three secrets to Bernadette with this recommendation: "I forbid her to tell anyone."
March 2: "Go tell the priests ..."
On Tuesday March 2, the Apparition makes one last request: "Go tell the priests that you are coming here in procession and that you are building a chapel".
For believers, a chapel is a home for God, the place to celebrate mass. The request was heard. Today, during the pilgrimage season, two processions take place daily: that of the Blessed Sacrament in the afternoon and the Marian procession with torches every evening. Every day more than fifty masses are celebrated in different places of the Shrine.
March 25: the Apparition reveals its name
On March 25, 1858, during the feast of the Annunciation, during the 16th apparition, Bernadette asked the Lady three times for her name: "Do you want to have the goodness to tell me your name?".
The Lady stretches out her arms and brings them back to herself, joining her hands and raising her eyes to heaven, then utters these words with infinite sweetness: "Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou" (I am the Immaculate Conception).
Bernadette does not understand the meaning of these words. He must repeat them up to the presbytery where he reports them to the priest, Father Peyramale. Overwhelmed by emotion, he immediately sends her home. Now he is sure of the identity of the Lady. Indeed, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was promulgated in 1854. It tells us that, unlike all of us, Mary was conceived without sin and never sinned. The apparition is the Virgin Mary!
In the heart of Lent Bernadette spoke to us about the invitation from Heaven sent by Mary to change our heart, without any threat, with extreme delicacy, but underlining its necessity. A real conversion is needed to find the way to the only true happiness.
Let us remember whenever we can drink at the source, light a candle and pray in front of the Massabielle rock, where these two young women have shown us the way to God.