Homily for the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

To have been embraced by the blessed Virgin as our mother in her moment of supreme grief leaves no doubt about the special worth that she places on suffering in our lives. Her apparitions and numerous miraculous healings at Lourdes show us not only the exceptional value that suffering has in God’s eyes, but also how our own eyes need to be cleansed in order to see its value—both in ourselves and in others.