Day 4 of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes - a collaboration between Hettienne Grobler and Mary Beben

Day 4 of  Art Novena: 

The Revelation of Sophia

In the book of Sirach, Wisdom is extolled as the Holy Presence whose teaching flows out to us from God. This passage again ties the event at Lourdes and the book of Esther together in the manifestation of Sophia, or Divine Wisdom.

The first man never finished comprehending wisdom,

nor will the last succeed in fathoming her.

For deeper than the sea are her thoughts;

her counsels, than the great abyss.

Now I like a rivulet from her stream, 

channeling the waters into a garden, 

Said to myself, “I will water my plants, 

my flower bed I will drench;

And suddenly this rivulet of mine became a river, 

then this stream of mine, a sea.

Thus do I send my teachings forth shining like the dawn, 

to become known far off. (Sirach 24:26 30, N.A.B.)

The spring in the story, as the geologist testified, was “always there,” but undiscovered, just as our own healing gifts and possibilities are always there, but perhaps undiscovered by ourselves. Bernadette was confused about where to dig because the source of the water was not visible or recognizable. The Source of our own ability to heal is hidden within us, as well. We usually have to dig, with God’s grace, to uncover them. They start with the tiniest trickle and become a mighty stream if we know how to be obedient to our inner knowing. 

Not everyone has an overt gift of physical healing for others. But the image means to tell us that all the healing we need and the planet needs comes from within. We have all the other gifts we need for our individual contributions to whatever field we may touch with our lives and to whatever people may be within our field of caring. The revelation at Lourdes is on two levels: the microcosmic story tells us about our individual selves and where true healing is to be found: in us. Sometimes we have to work a little, as Bernadette did, to uncover the blocked wellspring. We may even have to look foolish to others while we are learning to respect it and claim it. But all healing comes from within.

The macrocosmic version of the revelation tells us that Earth is the “garden” designed just for us and we must respect it. It is right here that the feminine presence of God is returning to our world and the springs of healing and refreshment are being opened, as if by “magic.” But they have always been here. Earth is our Mother and Mary shows us her loving care for us.

Message received from Our Lady :

Pray for light to understand how you treat yourself first. If you, clay of this earth, do not consider every part of your body and mind as precious, you will not revere the earth, either, and your attitudes will affect the outer world around you. Pollution and disregard for the earth begin within, in careless and ungrateful attitudes and judgements about your own body and in the way you abuse or neglect it. The great commandment has always been to love yourself and your neighbor. You have no power to change the way you act and feel until your heart has opened. Pray as never before for this first great miracle: the opening of your own heart to accept that you are beloved, just as you are. Pray with me to know love as never before and be bathed in it as in the spring of healing. Please take time to linger with me there – in the love I have for you.

We invite you to participate, to visit Mary's blog and leave a message or comment

and maybe even put up some art of your own?

Yesterday Mr Linky did not appear, but today it is back.

blessings

Hettienne and Mary