St. BERNADETTE'S CORNER

"I was responsible," said Sr. Bernard Dalias - a friend of St. Bernadette's - "for intoning a hymn before recreation. One day, Bernadette accosted me after the prayer and said: 'Why don't you sometimes begin the hymn: I SHALL SEE HER AGAIN ONE DAY, MARY, MY DEAR MOTHER?' Her look was then one of indescribable desire and sadness and I saw tears running down her cheeks."

I went up to the sick-room, relates a Sister who was a novice at the time. I found Bernadette leaning against the mantlepiece, crying. I was unaware of her bereavement. I knelt down b when we were talking about Lourdes and Bartres, she said to me: "You can't believe how ignorant I was. Imagine, my father came to see me one day when I was minding the sheep; he found me quite sad and asked me the reason for my sadness; I said: 'Look at my sheep, some of them have green backs.' He laughed and answered: 'It's the grass they've eaten which has got on to their backs, perhaps they are going to die.' I began to cry as if my heart would break. Seeing my sorrow, my father consoled me and explained that the green was the buyer's brand mark." On hearing the story, I began to laugh and said: "Really! were you so naive as to believe that?" She answered, "But, my dear, I didn't know what it was to tell a lie. I believed everything people said."

When she was reproved or humiliated, she would say: "I have just been given a sweet." When asked what kind, she'd respond: "Ah!, that's my business."

When Bernadette had fits of asthma, which were very frequent, she was a pitiful sight. She never complained, and once the fits were over, she would say: "Thank you, dear Lord!"

One day a superior asked Bernadette if she had felt any self-satisfaction on receiving so many marks of favor from the Virgin Mary. "What do you think of me?" she responded. "Don't I realize that if the Blessed Virgin chose me it was because I was the most ignorant? If she had found anyone more ignorant than myself she would have chosen her."

Sister Eleonore recalls: One All Saints' Day, I heard that Sr. Marie-Bernard (St. Bernadette) was ill. As I knew she was fond of flowers, I picked a few violets which had bloomed in front of the kitchen wall, and this in spite of the late season. I sent them to her by way of a novice who worked in the sick-room. The novice was charged to tell her from me: "Sister, today is your feast day, since it is All Saints' Day." The answer was brought back to me the following day by the same novice: "Since it is my feast day," said Sr. Marie-Bernard, "it is also yours. Accept half of my biscuits, and with no afterthought. I have asked Mother Assistant's permission."

When Sister Eudoxie Chatelain arrived at the Novitiate, the sister who accompanied her introduced Bernadette. Sister Eudoxie recalls: "And I was led toward a little sister who seemed to be coming back from the kitchen. The sister with me asked Bernadette to pray for my vocation, so that God would grant me perseverance. Bernadette promised to pray for me and said that she was convinced that I should not feel bored and that I would make a good Sister of Nevers. Then as I was rather tall, my Superior laid her hand on my head, obliging me to bend. Sister Marie-Bernard (Bernadette) took hold of my hands and kissed me gently on the forehead. As for me, I was very much moved, unable to utter a word. I couldn't open my eyes wide enough to look at the little Messenger of the Virgin Mary!

Once, during recreation, a novice was holding a bat which had fallen to the ground. Some of the sisters began screaming. Bernadette was present. Sister Julienne Capmartin scolded: "Oh! how can you hold such a horrible beast! It is a likeness to the devil!" Sister Marie-Bernarde (Bernadette) became very grave and turning towards the scolder said: "Learn, Sister, that no beast is the likeness of the devil: only sin is such."

Sister Vincent recalls: We were at the Corpus Christi procession at Nevers Hospital, 1874. As I had never visited the garden, I wanted to take the opportunity of doing so, and indeed someone had told me laughingly about the pond and about being careful not to fall into it. Well, as my veil was lowered covering my face like that of the other sisters, I made a small hole in it, just sufficient enough to see through. Bernadette who was aware of it said to me: "I am really ashamed of you; you have been wanting in faith and respect to the Blessed Sacrament and you have certainly given bad example to the other sisters as well as lacking in the spirit of poverty." I asked her how I had been wanting in the spirit of poverty. "By making a hole in your veil. In the future have more respect for the Blessed Sacrament."

Sister Vincent recalls: The day after my profession I was sent to one of our communities and Bernadette accompanied me to the parlor door. I asked her for a keepsake and she answered, "It is not necessary to give a keepsake to someone you are very fond of. But remember we must love without measure and help others without counting cost." Then kissing her, I said: "I'll be seeing you!" She answered: "Not in this world." It was in fact the last time I was to see her.

One day, Sr. Dominique accompanied two children to St. Gildard Convent - The Motherhouse - where Bernadette resided; they wanted to see the saint. "Sister Marie-Bernard (St. Bernadette), will you come down for a minute? Will you kindly take care of these children while I go to see our Reverend Mother General?" You must be aware that all kinds of innocent schemes were used in order to see Bernadette. She usually saw through these little artful schemes, but she also accepted them with gentleness to do what was expected from her. That day she said: "Yes, Sister, at once!" She came down immediately and joined us. I found her very natural and quite at ease. She seemed especially gracious and amiable, but tired and fragile-looking. (A memory of a Carmelite of Nevers, who was one of the children.)

Sister Ursula was speaking to Bernadette about the grotto of Lourdes: "Would you be happy to see it again?" "My mission at Lourdes is over. What should I do there now?" "They are preparing great celebrations there with several bishops taking part, wouldn't you like to go?" "Oh!, I prefer a thousand times more my small corner in the sick-room than to be present at Lourdes for this solemnity, which however, gives me pleasure." She seemed to ponder for a while then she added: "If I could be transported to the grotto in a balloon and pray there all alone for a short time, I would go with pleasure, but if I have to travel like everyone else and find myself in the midst of the crowds, I had rather remain here." One day, someone said to her, "You must regret not having seen those magnificent celebrations." "Don't pity me, I have seen something far more beautiful!"

Sister Marie-Bernard (St. Bernadette) was very fond of Sister Claire Lecocq, and when the latter was dying, she envied her happiness. Unceasingly, they were heard repeating: "Oh! My God, I believe in You, I hope in You, I love You, I abandon myself to You." She gave the dying Sister her messages for Heaven; they encouraged each other to accept suffering.

Towards the end of October, 1876, Father Febre had preached about sin. As I happened to be in the sick-room with Sister Marie-Bernard (St. Bernadette) she said to me: "Oh, Sister!, how pleased I am!" "What's the matter?" I asked her. "Didn't you hear the sermon?" "Yes, I did." "Well! The chaplain said that when we didn't want to sin, then there is no sin." "Yes, I heard that. And what else?" "Well, then, I have never committed a sin." Her face was radiant with joy....

Sr. Valentine Borot writes: Bernadette was sitting up in bed near a window at the back of the room, she was smiling, and seemed rested. As yet, her face was not too thin. It was July, 1877, and I don't remember her looking depressed. When she saw us come in, she said to Mother Nathalie: "I guess that you are bringing me a young postulant." And as I stood back, through shyness and respect, she added: "Come here, young lady, let me kiss you." I went up to her. She gazed at me for a while before kissing me. She asked whether I felt homesickness. I answered quite naively that I was in seventh heaven. "Oh!," she said, "I was very homesick in the beginning. When I received a letter from home I waited to be alone to open it because I felt myself unable to read it without crying my eyes out."

Bernadette was ill in bed. Sisters Thais and Veronica went to visit her. "Just think, Sister Veronica made profession with me and she is now a superior - and I am not! It's just not fair! At least you, Sister Marie-Bernard, are superior of the sick room." Bernadette responded: "I, a superior! I only aspire to be superior over myself, and I can't even seem to manage that!"

Sister Stanislaus, showing Bernadette her rosary, said: "Why is my rosary so rusty?" With a knowing smile, Bernadette, answered, "My dear, it is because you don't say it often enough!"