Homily of Bishop Kevin at Mass to mark Conclusion of the Visit of the Relics of Saint Bernadette

Homily of Bishop Kevin Doran at Mass to mark the Conclusion of the Visit of the Relics of Saint Bernadette to Ireland

Tuesday 5^th November 2024

Church of the Risen Christ, Kiltoom, Co Roscommon 

Je souhaite la bienvenu a vous, Pere Michel Dubanes, Recteur du Sanctuaire de Lourdes, pour etre ici avec nous ce matin avec vos deux collegues Matthias et Philippe.

Par vous aussi, Je salue Mgr Jean-Marc Micas, eveque de Tarbes et Lourdes, et Je lui exprime un tres grand merci de la part des milliers de fideles, partout en Irlande, qui sont venus prier aupres des reliques de Saint Bernadette pendant deux mois.

I want to warmly welcome Fr. Michel Daubanes and his two colleagues who have joined us here for this Mass of farewell. Through them, I send our greetings and thanks to Mgr. Jean-Marc Micas, Bishop of Tarbes, for his kindness in facilitating this pilgrimage of the Relics of Saint Bernadette.

In her gentle and humble way, Mary asked Bernadette: “Please do me the honour of coming here for two weeks.” Saint Bernadette has done us the honour of coming here for two months. Her presence among us has been such a blessing for the many thousands of people in every Diocese, who came to pray during these recent weeks.

Speaking to his disciples about the life-style they were called to live, Jesus says: “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies, it produces much fruit”. He lived that teaching in his own life and death.

Providentially, if we were using the ordinary readings for today, we would hear that same message from Saint Paul, as he encourages the Philippians: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross”. (Phil: 2:4-8)

During the ministry of Jesus, people asked from time to time: “Where did this man get his wisdom”. It is interesting to reflect on the part that Mary played in the upbringing of her son. We know that she taught him and that he was obedient to her and to Joseph. But along with being his mother, Mary was also his disciple. So, did she teach him, or did he teach her?

Mary’s understanding of her place in God’s plan, before ever Jesus was born, is expressed in the Magnificat, where she glorified God. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for the Almighty has done great things for me”. She understood that, without God, she was nothing at all. It was he who “put down the mighty and raised up the lowly”. These words of Mary do not represent wisdom as the world sees it. Her life is all about facilitating the mission of Jesus and he is always the heart of her message.

When we first encounter Bernadette, she is a poor country child out collecting sticks. She was “not wise by human standards” and, indeed, when she first reported the apparitions, very few paid any attention to what she said. But she had that Wisdom that comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit; a wisdom that opens her heart to hear the words of Mary. In spite of her youth and her poverty, Bernadette is courageous and uncompromising in her delivery of the message entrusted to her. But, like Mary, she knows instinctively that this is not about her. Very soon after the apparitions, she withdrew from Lourdes and entered a convent in Nevers, because she wanted to devote her life to God’s service and she did not want to be a distraction to those who came to pray in Lourdes, in response to the the invitation of Mary.

Now, through her intercession, the Lord does great things for us. The pilgrimage of the Relics is not ultimately about Saint Bernadette. Through her we hear again the words of Mary, calling us to prayer and penance. The best fruit from this pilgrimage will be if all who came to pray with the Relics, continue to gather regularly for the Eucharist; if they share their faith with their children and if they are ready to use their God-given gifts for mission in the community of the Church and in society.

We live in a world where there is a strong focus on equality and, indeed, in the eyes of God we are all equally loved. But many of us are preoccupied with our own agenda; many of us are too easily offended; many of us have an exaggerated sense of entitlement. Bernadette reminds us that it is not all about us. We are invited, through our encounter with Bernadette, to have in us, hearts like hers, which are dedicated to the love of God and to bringing that love into the world through the service of others.

On behalf of all the Bishops, as we come to the end of this wonderful time of grace, I thank all the volunteers in each Diocese who have worked so hard to make this visit of the Relics so successful from both a practical and spiritual point of view.  I take this opportunity to thank all of our pilgrimage directors who work so hard during the year to facilitate our pilgrimages to Lourdes. In the words of Our Lady, I encourage many of you who have prayed with the Relics in recent weeks, to come on pilgrimage to Lourdes in the future if you can. In a particular way, I invite many young people to join us and to participate in the Diocesan teams which support the liturgy and care for the assisted pilgrims. God bless you all.