Chap 34 - The Virgin Smiles

  

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In Chapter 34 of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bernadette tells the Cure of Lourdes about her latest encounter with the Virgin Mary at the Grotto. The Virgin smiles at the priest's request for a sign but does not fulfill it. Instead, she instructs Bernadette to pray for sinners and announces "Penitence!" three times before revealing a second secret to her. The Cure later discusses the event with other priests interpreting the Virgins smile as a sign of approval.

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“Well, have you seen her to-day, and what has she said to you?” demanded the Curé of Lourdes, when Bernadette had presented herself at his house on her return from the Grotto.  

“I have seen the Vision,” replied the child, “and I said to her ‘Monsieur le Curé requests you to furnish him with some proofs, as for instance, to cause the wild rose which is under your feet to blossom, because my word alone does not satisfy the Priests, and they will not rely on me.’  Then she smiled but said nothing.  Afterwards she bade me pray for sinners, and commanded me to ascend to the back of the Grotto.  And she cried out three times the words ‘Penitence! penitence! penitence!’ which I repeated as I dragged myself on my knees to the back of the Grotto.  There she imparted to me a second secret which regards myself alone.  Then she disappeared.”

“And what have you found at the back of the Grotto?”

“I looked after She had disappeared ⎝for as long as She is there my attention is fixed on Her alone and She entirely absorbs me⎠, and saw nothing but the rock, and on the ground a few blades of grass which were growing in the midst of the dust.”

The priest remained absorbed in a kind of reverie.

“Let us wait,” said he to himself.

The same evening, the Abbé Peyramale related this interview to the vicaires of Lourdes and some priests from the neighborhood.  They rallied their Dean on the apparent failure of his demand.

“If it is the Blessed Virgin,” they said to him, “this smile on the receipt of your request, appears to us as unfavorable for you;  and irony from so exalted a quarter strikes us as alarming.”

The Curé extricated himself from this view of the question with his usual presence of mind.

“This smile is in my favor,” he replied;  “the Blessed Virgin is no scoffer.  If I had spoken ill, she would not have smiled, she would have been moved to pity at my plea.  She smiled;  therefore she approves.”