Maymay sa Magbalantay

“Today the Church brings us to Lourdes — a quiet grotto, a poor girl, and a Mother who comes very close.

Mary did not appear to a bishop.

Not to someone rich or powerful.

She appeared to Bernadette — poor, sickly, unknown.

And from the very beginning, Lourdes teaches us a consoling truth: God goes first to the weak, not to the powerful. Heaven begins with the humble.

That is why this feast speaks directly to the sick… and to those who care for them.

1. God Comes Close to Those Who Suffer

When you are sick, you feel small.

You feel weak. Dependent. Sometimes even forgotten.

You begin to ask painful questions: “Lord, where are You?” “Why is this happening to me?”

Lourdes answers those questions not with explanations, but with presence.

Mary comes close to someone who understands suffering. Because those who suffer understand God in a deeper way.

So to those who are sick today, please hear this clearly:

You are not forgotten.

You are not useless.

You are not a burden.

In the eyes of God, you are very precious. Heaven comes first to you.

2. The Greatest Healing Is Not of the Body, but of the Heart

Every year, millions of people go to Lourdes. Very few are physically cured. Yet they go home peaceful, hopeful, strengthened. Why?

Because they discover something greater than a cure:

“I am sick… but I am not alone.”

“God has not abandoned me.”

This is the real miracle of Lourdes.

Physical healing is a blessing. We pray for it. We ask for it. But inner peace in the midst of sickness is the greater miracle.

Sometimes, the sick are closer to God than the healthy — because suffering teaches surrender, patience, humility, and trust.

3. Mary Does Not Remove the Cross — She Stands Beside Us

Mary did not promise Bernadette an easy life. In fact, Bernadette’s life became harder after the apparitions. But Mary’s presence gave her strength.

That is what Mary does for us.

She does not take away the cross.

She stands beside us as we carry it — just as she stood beside Jesus at Calvary.

If you are sick today, Mary is beside your bed. If you are afraid, Mary is holding your hand.

And to you — family members, nurses, doctors, caregivers — you are doing holy work.

You are the hands of Jesus for the sick today.

Many of you are tired. Many of you feel unrecognized. But God sees every act of care, every sleepless night, every small sacrifice.

You are living Lourdes in your homes, in hospital rooms, in quiet acts of service that no one applauds — but heaven sees.

My dear friends, Lourdes teaches us this beautiful truth: God’s greatest miracle is not always cure, but companionship.

You may carry a cross. But you never carry it alone.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for the sick. And pray for those who care for them.”