Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

Brief Background:

Our Lady of Lourdes refers to the Marian apparitions that took place in 1858 in Lourdes, France. Between February 11 and July 16 of that year, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared eighteen times to a poor 14-year-old girl, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, at a grotto called Massabielle. During these apparitions, Mary called people to prayer and penance and asked that a chapel be built on the site. She also directed Bernadette to uncover a spring of water that later became associated with many reported healings. On March 25, Mary identified herself as “the Immaculate Conception,” affirming a doctrine formally proclaimed just four years earlier. Today, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world, drawing millions each year who seek healing, conversion, and renewed faith. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on February 11 and is also observed as the World Day of the Sick.

REFLECTION:

In the movie Moana, the world begins to fall apart because something small but essential has been lost — the Heart of Te Fiti. Once that heart is removed, darkness slowly spreads. The land that was once vibrant becomes dry and broken. The story is not really about defeating a monster; it is about restoring a heart.

That image offers a helpful lens for today’s readings.



In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that what truly defiles a person does not come from the outside. It comes from within. Evil, pride, envy, division — these begin in the heart. So do mercy, integrity, compassion, and faithfulness. The condition of the heart shapes everything else.

The First Reading presents a powerful contrast. The Queen of Sheba is amazed by the wisdom and splendor of King Solomon. His kingdom appears ordered, prosperous, blessed. Yet later in Scripture we learn that Solomon’s heart gradually drifts away from the Lord. Outward strength hides inward decline. And once the heart turns, the kingdom eventually weakens.

The pattern is familiar. When the heart is unsettled, families feel it. When the heart is resentful, relationships strain. When the heart is divided, communities lose peace. But the opposite is also true: when the heart is restored, life begins to flourish again.

Jesus invites us to look honestly within. Not with fear, but with courage. The Christian life is not primarily about managing appearances. It is about allowing God to heal what is hidden. A heart returned to God becomes a source of blessing.

Perhaps the Lord is asking today: What in my heart needs restoration? Is there unforgiveness that has taken root? Is there pride that clouds my judgment? Is there fear that prevents trust? Naming these before God is the beginning of renewal.

In Moana, once the heart is restored, the land blooms again. In our lives, when the heart is surrendered to God, grace begins to flow outward — into our homes, our parish, and our wider community.

The work of discipleship begins quietly, within. When the heart belongs to God, everything else gradually comes into order.

May we allow the Lord to restore our hearts — so that what flows from us is light, mercy, and hope.