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15 Days of Prayer With Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

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Author Francois Vayne combines Bernadette's words and actions with her own reflections and prayers in this new entry in the "15 Days of Prayer with..." series. Vayne reports that while writing the book she realized that she was dwelling in "an abyss of poverty" because she did not know how to pray. Throughout she reflects on her journey into prayer and addresses frequent prayers to Bernadette and to Our Lady of Lourdes. This aspect of Vayne's work is extremely valuable for those who struggle with prayer in the modern world.

When writing of Bernadette's sorrow over the absence of apparitions on Mondays and Fridays, Vayne reminds us that the Lord doesn't always appear when we await him, yet "Christ is closer to us than ever in these moments of seeming absence." The "empty" days, she writes, give us an opportunity to show faithfulness. After describing an apparition in which Mary called for penitence, Vayne asks a series of questions of herself on the subject. She observes that "penitence is not so much deprivation as it is movement of love which is always renewing itself." The story of Mary's final appearance to Bernadette describes unfavorable conditions. Vayne writes of obstacles that threaten her relationship with God, "But I learn how to pray in all conditions, in the subway and on the bus, for example, by contemplating on the faces which become like living icons to me."

These personal practices related to the story of Lourdes make 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Bernadette an excellent resource. Each chapter begins with a focus statement and ends with reflection questions especially useful in a small group setting.