Three Words of Wisdom

BREAD OF LIFE

Photo: R. Massaro St. Agnes Church Orrville, Ohio

Today, April 16, has traditionally been the feast day of St. Bernadette. Although, St. Bernadette is not on the Roman calendar this year, I still like to celebrate her feast day since she is my patron saint through the Sacrament of Confirmation.

St. Bernadette was the child of a miller.  Most of us have seen the famous movie, The Song of Bernadette, in which the Soubirous family suffered agonizing poverty because her father lost his job as a miller.  The symbolism of wheat and of bread, always played an important role in the life of St. Bernadette.  When asked which brought her more happiness, seeing the Blessed Virgin or receiving Holy Communion, she had to struggle to answer, finally saying, "they both brought me great happiness."

St. Bernadette suffered from debilitating asthma, and later in life she suffered a cancerous tumor on the knee, which was cruelly painful. She offered up her suffering for the conversion of poor sinners.

When St. Bernadette was dying, the Bread of Life symbolism came into play as she meditated on being "ground like wheat" under the miller's stone.  Here is a prayer she wrote about "bread."

PRAYER OF A POOR BEGGAR TO JESUS
 Written by St. Bernadette

O Jesus, give me, I beg you, the bread of humility,
the bread of obedience,
the bread of charity,
the bread of strength to break my will and to mold it in yours,
the bread of interior mortification,
the bread of detachment from creatures,
the bread of patience to bear the sufferings my heart endures.
O Jesus, you want me to be crucified, fiat.
the bread of strength to suffer as I ought,
the bread of seeing you alone in all things and at all times,
Jesus, Mary, the Cross, I want no other friends but these.

We can see the heart of a Carmelite in St. Bernadette. It has been written that she would have liked to enter Carmel, but her health prevented it.  As Secular Carmelites, we can see her desire for mortification and detachment, necessary virtues for union with God. St. Bernadette had no other desire than union with Jesus through Mary. Although she was privileged to see the Blessed Virgin, she had to travel the same narrow road that all Christians are called to travel. It is a dying to self and our egos and having a heart on fire with the love of God. 

Dying to ourselves and being faithful to our promises of chastity, poverty, and obedience is not easy, no, it can be very difficult at times, but God will give us the grace to persevere. Saints like Bernadette show us the way-Jesus, the Bread of Life, is the Way the Truth and the Life!

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
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