Visit of St. Bernadette's Relics - Mass with Anointing of the Sick

Homily for Mass with Anointing of the Sick during the visit of the Relics of Saint Bernadette..
Cathedral of Christ the King,
Mullingar.
October 22nd 2024.
Most Reverend Tom Deenihan.
Bishop of Meath.

Lourdes is a place that will always be associated with faith, the sick and the infirm. That is why this afternoon’s Mass, with the anointing of the sick, is an integral part of the visit of the relics of saint Bernadette to the Diocese.

Lourdes is a place of both illness and faith and illness can affect the faith of many believers. How many have lost faith because a loved one got sick or died - particularly some one young or because prayers were unanswered.

But perhaps the real and most common miracle of Lourdes is the numbers that have their faith restored and strengthened by the faith of so many who are suffering so much.

If you think about it, you would probably agree that, in some ways, the saints were the lucky ones, at least those who were not martyred. After all they knew for certain, some of them even had visions, witnessed miracles or. Like Bernadette, had Mary appearing to them. In that context, belief would have been easy. For us it’s somewhat harder. We look for miracles, signs, anything, any heavenly thread to grab onto. We don’t always get it, or at least in any dramatic fashion. Actually, we tend to look for the spectacular. We look for dramatic signs. St. Paul, we are told was blinded and, according to legend, knocked off his horse. We expect similar treatment. I firmly believe that many young people have felt, from time to time, that they may have a vocation but they were waiting for a voice to come from the clouds and lightening to appear. They’ll be waiting. God does not communicate with us like that and, if you think about it, we all make that same mistake from time to time.

In the context of the story of Lourdes and with reference to our own faith, there might be a tendency to be envious of Bernadette too. Mary appeared to her. She knew. And yet, would Bernadette have been better off if Mary had not appeared to her at all? I am not trying to be smart here, the question is not a trivial one. For example, you might ask what were the consequences of Mary appearing to Bernadette ? Firstly, there was public perception. People believed that Bernadette was deceiving them and, consequently, there was pressure put on her by family and clergy.

Ultimately, Bernadette became a nun. In convents then, hardships were embraced as a means of achieving sanctification. Bernadette was subjected to an even harsher regime because of the apparitions, was enclosed for a life time and the life time lasted no long period for she died young at the age of thirty five.

Or look at it from Mary’s point of view. A young girl, unmarried, gives birth to the son of God, witnessed him being murdered at the unripe age of thirty-three. No bed of roses there either despite, you might say, having tangible proof and knowing for certain.

For that matter, you might refer to the apostles. All, bar John the evangelist, were martyred despite having known and journeyed with Christ and having seen the many miracles first hand. Mind you, one of them, Peter, denied Christ three times. What does that say of his faith? And yet, he became the rock on which Christ built his Church.

In fact the lesson of their lives is more in keeping with that other quotation of Christ, ‘If any one wants to be a follower of mine, he must take up his Cross and follow me. Faith promises no primrose path, often compels us to do what we would rather not and prevents us from doing what we would. But it does offer the promise of an eternal life with Christ and a conquering of human death. That is the reward of faith, not a magic wand in the here and now! That is important in the context of the celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick this afternoon

Mary puts before us the image of a courageous young lady who surrendered herself to the will of God. ‘Be it done unto me according to thy word’. Was not that the supreme act of faith? If we could say the same in our own everyday lives, wouldn’t our faith be strengthened too and wouldn’t we be an example to others? In that sense, the example of Mary provides a prototype for us to follow as people of faith.


The life we have is important, it can be fair, lucky or misfortunate but it is not the full picture. We have an eternal life. Lourdes, the rite of anointing, the Eucharist and our Faith promises us another life, a place of rest, contentment and the presence of God. That realisation is more important than temporary and transient healings, as welcome as they’d be!

Through the intercession of Mary and Bernadette, may we all have the faith to see the hand of God at work in our lives, even when it works silently and undramatically and even when it brings us onto a road we would rather not travel and even disappoints us.

May we have the strength and courage to bear the load, even when it seems unbearable, that is what the sacrament of the sick also promises, and above all, may we have the faith to have hope in tomorrow and, more importantly, in eternal happiness with God.