Our Lady’s upcoming feast day on February 11 has given me cause for some reflection. The Blessed Virgin Mary has played an integral role in the strengthening of my faith as I continue my conversion.

Toward the end of my atheist years, I began to feel some sort of calling. Eventually, this calling led me to explore Christianity in more detail. I was never really sure why, but I knew that I wanted to learn more. Initially, I felt much more drawn to some of the Protestant churches. They seemed much more – modern. Most of them played fairly upbeat music, and some of them even let you have coffee during the service!

What was bothering me though, was the vast number of denominations that I had to choose from. They all had different approaches, slightly different beliefs or interpretations, and there was enough inconsistency among them to make me want to abandon this inquiry altogether. I slowly began to realize that having coffee and listening to rock music sure sounded nice, but what really mattered most to me was truth. I realized that consistent theological and moral teaching since the time of Jesus was the number one most important thing to me in a faith.

I eventually found the truth that I was looking for in the Catholic Church. I entered RCIA and completed the three necessary Sacraments to enter the Church, but to be honest I had quite a weak faith. I often questioned my decision, and thought longingly about the upbeat music and gourmet coffee that I was missing.

Eventually, I stumbled into a book about Marian apparitions. One thing that always seemed so strange to me about Catholics was their preoccupation with Mary. As I read about Church-approved apparitions such as those that occurred at Fatima, Portugal and Lourdes, France, I began to understand why. Catholics are so devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary because she’s always revealing herself and guiding us toward her son!

The apparitions that occurred at Lourdes, beginning February 11, 1858, are one of the most amazing events in Church history. I won’t go into any detail about these apparitions because there are so many other resources that have already covered them so well.

Supernatural events such as these played a large part in growing my faith, which was so weak in the first couple of years following my conversion. I am amazed by the number of miraculous cures, and the huge number of conversions that have occurred as a result of Our Lady’s appearances to St. Bernadette. God willing, these will continue long into the future.

There have been many purported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, even in relatively recent times. Unfortunately, enough of these have turned out to be fraudulent that doubt is cast upon most of them. Fortunately, as with most other matters, we have our Church to guide us. Once the Catholic Church has proclaimed that these events can be trusted, one can rest assured that sufficient research has been done, and solid proof found. While this might sound like blind, ignorant faith, the reality is that it takes a much larger leap of faith to try and explain events such as these by some method other than the miraculous intervention of God.

A prayer for the intercession of our Blessed Mother:

Divine Jesus,

You sent the Blessed Mother to Saint Bernadette to show the world that God is real.

Just like Mary asked to the girl to dig for a spring of healing water to appear, show me how to be cleansed of my sinful tendencies.

Give to me our dear Mother when I need her tender love and holy inspiration.

As I go through difficulties, cover me with her prayers. When I have important decisions to make, ask her to intercede for me until I understand and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

When it’s time for me to die, send her to carry me peacefully into the arms of our heavenly Father.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for me.

Amen.