Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

The more one learns about St. Bernadette Soubirous, the more one can’t help but love and admire her.  Mind you, this was a girl – a mere girl, who had tremendous difficulty keeping up with beginner catechism lessons.  St. Bernadette was nothing even approaching an “intellectual”.  She was excoriated by her teachers and peers as “dumb” and “dimwitted”.

An yet, when I was searching for quotes of hers for yesterday’s post, I came across the following, which was so genuinely, perfectly humble that it truly set me aback.  That is what TRUE humility does.  It takes your breath away.  It makes you instantly recognize your own pride.  But at the same time, it is in no way dishonest – humility is being honest about YOURSELF – both the good, but since we are all fallen sinners, most prominently the bad.  But also OUR PLACE.  St. Bernadette knew her place, and even when chosen by God Almighty to be His instrument, and the instrument of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, even after that, St. Bernadette still KNEW HER PLACE.  And she meant it.  When she said the quote below, she meant it with every fiber of her being. No “only I have the humility and ambition …” vomitus, just true, and, ironically, SPECTACULAR humility.

And she was rewarded for it.  Not only was she given the Beatific Vision very, very quickly after her death, but her body was maintained incorrupt.

I can’t recommend strongly enough the movie “The Song of Bernadette”, in the public domain on YouTube.

Here is the quote that so embodies true humility:

“The Blessed Virgin used me like a broom, and then put me back in my place.”

-St. Bernadette Soubirous