Pray for us, O Immaculate Conception

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Last year I posted many ideas for helping our children learn about today's feast day, honoring our Blessed Mother. I am posting these ideas again, in case you didn't catch them first time around. Also, in my side bar, under "I Appreciate" you'll find a link to Jessica's blog where she has many great ideas as well.

February 11 -- Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Lourdes, France, is the place where Our Blessed Mother appeared in a grotto to St. Bernadette.

● For a child appropriate explanation, go here.

● For coloring, go to Charlotte's blog for her beautiful coloring page.

● Even though it is cold and frozen in much of the country, we can dream. And though we may have snow on the ground, we can still plan a Mary garden on this Feast Day. My Blessed Mother statue is in a front flowerbed, and while I try to grow flowers at her feet each year, she is standing under a shade tree, which steals both sun and water. This may be the year to move her, and surround her with the beautiful garden she deserves.

● Place flowers on your Mary altar at home. Or make a spiritual bouquet.

● Pray the rosary.

● I enjoy showing the children pictures of shrines and other special religious places around the world. In that way, the Internet works its own miracles. At the click of a button, I can show my children where sacred events have taken place halfway around the world. Click here to see the Grotto of Massabielle, where St. Bernadette first saw Our Blessed Mother. Also in Lourdes are The Basilica of the Rosary, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

● On this site, you will find information about the Grotto, as well as a webcam at the Lourdes Grotto.

● To make a holy card with Our Lady of Lourdes, find a pretty picture on the Internet (Google Image search), print it on card stock and have your child write a prayer on the back. You can even have it laminated if you want -- just take it to an office supply or teacher supply store.

● Take this opportunity to place a holy water font in your home, if you don't already have one. Be sure to pick up a bottle to save your holy water in. You can also make a holy water sprinkler, or have the children work on this if they are safe with a pocket knife. Then each night, make it a practice to sprinkle all of the children -- I do the little ones while they are awake, because they enjoy it, and the older ones while they are asleep, because they need it!

● Play the matching game here ("Mary is Our Mother, too"). While there is no specific image of Our Lady of Lourdes, the focus is on Mary.

● Watch a movie about Our Lady of Lourdes today. There are several out there, but we enjoy "The Song of Bernadette." Young children may enjoy "Bernadette, the Princess of Lourdes."

● And here is an online crossword puzzle about Mary (click on "Mary").

● On Mary's Feast Days I find myself singing her hymns. Teach the children a few of them. This site has a wonderful collection of Mary Hymns, along with the music. Just scroll down and click on one of the song titles. "Immaculate Mary" will be playing in my head all day on Tuesday!

● Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes:

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, you are the refuge of sinners, the health of the sick, and the comfort of the afflicted. You know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. By your appearance at the Grotto of Lourdes you made it a privileged sanctuary where your favors are given to people streaming to it from the whole world. Over the years countless sufferers have obtained the cure for their infirmities -- whether of soul, mind, or body. Therefore I come to you with limitless confidence to implore your motherly intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. Through gratitude for Your favors, I will endeavor to imitate Your virtues, that I may one day share in Your glory.
Amen.

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