‘THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES’-THE STORY BEHIND

"I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION"

    On February 11,1858, one of the most famous of all Mary’s apparitions began. Our Lady appeared to a fourteen-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubrious. She was the oldest daughter of one of the poorest families in the town.
     There were eighteen apparitions in all; the last took place on 16 July, of the same year. The mysterious vision she saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle was that of a young and beautiful lady. “Lovelier than I have ever seen” said the child. She saw ‘a beautiful Lady’ dressed in white with a rosary hanging from her arm, standing in a small cleft or grotto in the rock. The Lady smiled at her, beckoned her to approach and they prayed the Rosary together. Bernadette prayed and the Lady joined in for the Glory Be.
     On February 18, the Lady asked Bernadette to come for 15 days. Day after day, ever time Bernadette went to the rock and the Lady appeared, she told Bernadette a little more. More and more people went with Bernadette. They did not see the Lady, but they could tell that Bernadette was seeing something very special and beautiful, because Bernadette looked so happy and beautiful herself when the Lady was there.
     The Lady told her that we all must, “Pray for the conversion of sinners,” have “Penance, penance, penance!,” and “Go tell the priests to have people come here in a procession and to have a chapel built here.” On February 25, two weeks after the beginning of Her appearances, the Lady of the grotto made a new spring of water well up near Bernadette. The Lady told her to drink from it and wash herself in it.
     That spring is still there today. Many people go to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and take away Lourdes water. Many people have been healed of all kinds of illnesses when they visited the shrine at Lourdes and either drank the water or bathed in it.
     Our Lady appeared to Bernadette 18 times. On 25th. March 1858, the day of the sixteenth Apparition, Bernadette went to the Grotto, and on the instigation of the Parish Priest, Abbé Peyramale‚ asked the Lady for her name. Three times Bernadette asked the question. On the fourth request, the Lady answered in dialect “Que soy era Immaculada Councepcion”. (“I am the Immaculate Conception”). Bernadette did not understand immediately the meaning of these words. The Immaculate Conception is, as the Church teaches, “Mary, conceived without sin”. In other words, ‘The Immaculate Conception’ means that Mary was created in her mother’s womb and born without sin. Of course, anyone who was going to be the Mother of God, and carry Jesus in her womb would have to be without sin herself. Mary is the only person in the whole world, besides Jesus who was born without Original Sin. She went to the Parish Priest to tell him the Lady’s name. He knew what they meant and was very surprised. He understood that it was no one else but the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary herself who had appeared at the Grotto of Massabielle and that the little village of Lourdes had been greatly honoured by her appearances there. It was only four years later, in 1862, that the Bishop of Tarbes, Monseigneur Laurence, declared the faithful “justified in believing the reality of the apparition”. A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873, the great “national” French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In 1883, the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church; it is now observed on 11 February.
Many millions of people have been to Lourdes in the 140 years since the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes. Never has a sanctuary attracted such throngs. At the end of the year 1908, when the fiftieth anniversary of the apparition was celebrated, although the record really only began from 1867, 5297 pilgrimages had been registered and these had brought 4,919,000 pilgrims. Individual pilgrims are more numerous by far than those who come in groups. To their number must be added the visitors who do not come as pilgrims, but who are attracted by a religious feeling or sometimes merely by the desire to see this far-famed spot.
      But more remarkable still than the crowd of pilgrims is the series of wonderful occurrences which take place under the protection of the celebrated sanctuary. The testimonies of renewed faith and miraculous healing would fill many books. No natural cause, known or unknown, is sufficient to account for the marvellous cures witnessed at the foot of the celebrated rock where the Virgin Immaculate deigned to appear. They can only be from the intervention of God.

With this February Edition, DIVYA-JYOTI (the English monthly newsletter published by JEEVAN DHAM, Faridabad) completes its one year. Praise the Lord! Alleluia! We sincerely thank all those who have helped us in presenting you this newsletter every month. We request you to keep us in your daily prayers and give us your moral and spiritual support through your prayers in future.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
For articles, witnesses, prayers & suggestions, write to :
THE EDITOR, Jeevan Dham, 696/Sec-22, Faridabad-121005, Haryana. OR E-mail to: justcallanthony@yahoo.com.

365-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN

      The HOLY BIBLE can be stated as the Word of God in the words of men, a Record of Revelation, the Book of Faith, the History of Salvation et al. It is a collection of books written over centuries under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and accepted by the Church as inspired. The Holy bible should be read regularly everyday to nourish our Spirit, to strengthen our faith and to guide us at every moment. To help you read the Bible daily, we will be providing you the daily reading plan monthwise with each edition. Set apart some time to read everyday and try your best to stick to the schedule. You’ll definitely get incredible results.

BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
      I, Bittoo (age-20 years), am grateful to all those who prayed for me because I believe that it is through the power of their prayers that God gave me a new life and made it possible for me to come here today and give my testimony before all of you. I met with an accident three months ago (almost 6 months after I got married) while driving a crusher carrying a heavy load. It overturned all of a sudden. My head hit the ground and I became unconscious. Some policemen took me to the Govt. B.K. Hospital. My relatives came to know about my condition only the next day. My sister-in-law Anita and other relatives shifted me to the Batra Hospital, New Delhi when they learned that the doctors had given up hope saying that I may die any moment. There was no vacant bed for me in the Hospital. Anita and her sister started praying to Jesus begging to save my life. Somehow, I got admitted there and they kept me in the I.C.U. (Bed charges for the Room- Rs.18,000 per day) for three days. After all this, my condition did not improve. The doctors later confirmed that my skull was cracked at three places. They shifted me later to the general Ward, but even after a month neither could I open my eyes nor speak anything. I was left totally in an unconscious and pitiful state. They told my relatives to take me back home but they warned them not to take me anywhere even if I regained consciousness. The doctors told them that in such cases of head injury, the patients have very less chances of survival. The overall expenditure on treatment and medicines had exceeded Three lakhs and still more medicine had to be taken.
Meanwhile, Anita and her sister, who had been coming here for the Sunday prayer service regularly for the past two years, kept praying for my recovery and good health. They went everyday for the morning prayers at Sec-22, ‘Jeevan Dham’. While at home they used to read out from the prayer book ‘Naya Jeevan’ to me and praised God for His mercy and grace. Miraculously, after four weeks, I got back my consciousness; I opened my eyes and started speaking. After another few weeks, I got up from the bed but felt very weak. Although, the doctors had told my relatives not to take me anywhere, they had the faith that God will take care of me if I come here today because He has given me the wonderful gift of new life. He has healed me, given me the strength to stand here and give my testimony without any difficulty or pain.
Bittoo, Faridabad
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind.” (Psalms 107:19-21)

B) 20-YEAR OLD ARTHRITIS HEALED!

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
    I, Sheela (age-49 years), was an arthritic patient for the past 20 years. 20 years back, the joints in my fingers started aching. It later spread to other joints in my arms, shoulders, back and knee. The doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi, gave me injections and made me dip my hands into melted wax. This worsened my pain and stiffened my hands. I took the treatment from there for about two years, but I did not get any relief. I went to different private doctors and bone specialists and other medical practitioners, seeking relief from this severe incessant pain in my whole body. Everywhere I met despair and failure with no solution at hand. After few months, I was totally bedridden, unable to get up or walk or do anything for over a year. Nobody at home was in a condition to cook food for me, or give me even a glass of water to drink. My daughter too was an arthritic patient and my husband was a heart patient. Now weakness and the increasing pain made my life miserable. I took painkillers for over a year or so instead of all the other medicines. We were left totally at the mercy of others.
Then a lady in our neighbourhood told my daughter about the healing prayer service being conducted at ‘Jeevan Dham’ every Sunday. Last Sunday she attended the prayer service and told me everything that she had heard, seen and experienced here and asked me to accompany her this Sunday. We hired our neighbour’s vehicle and came here today. One of the volunteers took me in a wheelchair and helped me sit on a bench kept in the back row. Within few minutes, while praising God I felt as if my pain has lessened and I was getting some strength in my legs. When requested by a volunteer, surprisingly I mustered all my strength and got up. They told me to keep on praising and to put my legs forward. I could not believe my eyes when I started walking all by myself without anyone’s help or support. I could walk easily but slowly. As I reached the stage and started climbing even the stairs, tears of joy started rolling from my eyes. I experienced what my daughter had experienced in the last week – the mercy and love of Almighty God. I am indebted to Him and thank Him a million times for His blessings showered on me.
Sheela, Khanpur, New Delhi
“On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalms 62:7-8)

C) GIFTED WITH A CHILD AFTER 18 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!
Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
     I, Ishwar Prasad (age-37 years), got married to Anil Devi (age-35 years) 18 years ago. Within a year of our marriage we learnt that we wouldn’t have a child. But the reasons for this problem were uncertain. We started treatment from different hospitals in New Delhi, in Nalanda (Bihar) and other districts. But there was no ray of hope anywhere for us. We stopped the treatment for the last two years and gave up all hopes of ever getting a child.
One day our neighbour told me to just visit ‘Jeevan Dham’ and see for myself how so many people get healed and give their testimonies with joy. I did not believe him at first when he said that just through prayers everything was possible and that even we would get a child after praying there. But later, we decided to go together the next Sunday.
We came here about 11 months ago for the first time with our neighbour. That Sunday onwards, my wife started attending the prayer service regularly. Fortunately for us, through the grace of God, my wife became pregnant within a month and after a few weeks she stopped coming here. But we used to pray at home everyday and ask for God’s blessings. Last month my wife gave birth to a baby boy through the mercy of Divine Almighty God. Today we have brought Sumit (our son) with us to give our testimony before all for the wonderful gift that God has presented to our childless family. I thank Him and Praise Him.
Ishwar Prasad, Anil Devi, New Delhi
“He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.” (Psalms 113:9)

PICTURE OF THE CROWD AT JEEVAN DHAM FOR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS, DEC. 26, 2004

E-mail us your petitions to: justcallanthony@yahoo.com	IMPORTANT TIMINGS DAILY MORNING PRAYER : On Weekdays from 9:00a.m. to 11:00p.m. 24-HOUR Adoration is going on everyday ROUND-THE-CLOCK for over the last 1 year. You too can join us in prayer anytime. HOLY MASS : On Fridays: morning 10:00 a.m. On Sundays: evening 6:30 p.m.	WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM Are you … worried & burdened? Are you … depressed? Are you … sick or weak? Do you … feel the absence of peace & love in your life? Are you … grappling with a lot of problems in your life? Then visit this place chosen by God & see for yourselves all the incredible miracles happening here.This place is ‘JEEVAN DHAM’. Believe in God and attend the prayer session held every Sunday at St.Anthony’s School (ground), Sec-9, Faridabad from morning 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. organized with the grace of Almighty God by ‘Jeevan Dham’- H.no.696/ Sec-22, Faridabad. Obtain invaluable graces & heavenly blessings & witness the miraculous healings performed by Him.
WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM! Scriptural references in DIVYA JYOTI are from the New Revised Standard Version (© Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)1989
Edited and Published by Anthony. JEEVANDHAM, 696/22. Faridabad -121005, Haryana, INDIA Ph: 91-0129-2231126, 9350128560