Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes! It's a special devotion both in my family and in my personal history.
Starting chronologically, with the story itself... I love it! Bernadette was a normal little girl who was granted an amazing vision of the Blessed Mother. She was simple, unschooled, and sick (with tuberculosis) girl. But she must've had an amazingly pure, loving heart--not only to merit being chosen for the apparition but to endure the craziness that followed. The apparitions caused quite a frenzy in the small town; Bernadette went through very intent scrutiny from both the civil and religious leaders. Later in life, as a nun in a nearby convent, Bernadette's suffering continued until her death at the age of 35.
Continuing chronologically, in 1979 I was baptized on this day. :)
In the ensuing years, I remember my grandparents having a "statue" of the grotto, with Mary and St. Bernadette there. Along the side of the grotto were crutches and canes, left by those who were cured. This was something neat for me to see as a kid; it was even more special when my dad received it upon the passing of my grandmother.
Next, when I was in college, I studied abroad for one semester in London. It was 1999. For one long weekend, I made the trek down to Lourdes. I've written about my trip before, so I'll stick to the one prominent memory of it that stands head and shoulders above the rest. I felt so loved and so special. Even thinking about it makes me smile, nearly 13 years later! It was a wonderful grace from God, to feel so loved by His Mother. And, indeed, she has that same love for everyone! Seeing the complete & uncontainable love that Jesus had for all of us, is it any wonder that His Mother feels the same? We are dear to her!
Years after my trip, I came to a greater appreciation of the human side of saints. Not like I never did in the past, far from it (don't have to read very much of Augustine to see that he was human). Still, at some point I rediscovered the above picture of St. Bernadette. She was real! Just a kid! The amazing things I see in her are twofold: that God worked through a normal person and that even the most ordinary person is capable of great holiness.
In 2009 I met this pretty redheaded girl. :) I found out her confirmation name was Bernadette! What happy circumstance! That's not why I married Erin, of course. It felt like Our Lady was tapping me on the shoulder, saying hello, reminding me that she was still taking care of me.
Finally, my wife and I experienced the most crushing pain to date in our lives. On Valentine's Day in 2011, we found out at the ultrasound appointment that our baby had miscarried. One of the ways that we grieved through the loss of our baby was to name her. (we figured it was a girl) We named her Bernadette Hope Kubasak. The first name was because it was special to both of us and the middle name as a reminder of the future.
God has blessed me so much through Mary, Queen of the Angels, Mother of the Savior, and my Lady of Lourdes!