* February 21 – 6th apparition of Lourdes (France) - Saint Peter Damian  * "Pray for sinners and for this very troubled world" --- An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association February 21 – 6th apparition of Lourdes (France) - Saint Peter Damian  "Pray for sinners and for this very troubled world" On that first Sunday of Lent of 1858, around 6 am, the area around the Grotto of Lourdes was filled with hundreds of onlookers. Among them was a medical doctor named Dr. Dozous. The doctor closely observed Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary of Lourdes, during a thirty-minute ecstasy, but could not detect any "nervous excitement." He said: "After I let go of her arm, Bernadette took a few steps towards the upper side of the grotto, and then I saw her face, which until that moment had shown the most perfect bliss, turn sad. Two tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks... when she had finished her prayers, I asked her what had happened during that long vision. She replied: "The Lady’s eyes left me and turned to a distant point above my head. When her eyes turned back to me, she said: ‘Pray for sinners and for this very troubled world.’ I was quickly reassured by the expression of goodness and serenity that came back to her face, and immediately after that she left." This was the Virgin Mary’s main intention on that first Sunday of Lent—to pray and to have others pray for sinners. dieu-sauve.chez-alice.fr Dr Dozous, responsible for examining Bernadette www.mariedenazareth.com Bernadette Soubirous in 1863 {Wikimedia image] Let’s pray together  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.