Saint Bernadette was a visionary and messenger of the Immaculate Conception, she told us the very words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the native Basque tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain. She spoke words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty and church. In the first and most widely recognized Marian apparition of modern times, a personal message was delivered also to Bernadette—She would not find happiness in this world, but only in the next.
In sharing the grace of the apparitions, Saint Bernadette reminds us of the miracle of everyday life: God is with us. One hundred forty years after her death, she continues to touch hearts and change lives with her example of simplicity, humility and obedience.
As this new year begins, let us hold close her life. Inspired by her faith, may we follow where she leads and embrace her greatest teaching to "Love without measure."