Bernadette

I am thankful for he beauty of the natural world.  Especially that gorgeous sunset this evening . . . thank you, Jesus!

My Saint for today is my almost-name Saint, Bernadette.  If I had not been named Rebecca, I would have been Bernadette, so she holds a special place in my heart.  I think Bernadette's story is pretty well known.  When she was a young girl, Mary appeared to her several times in a grotto outside Lourdes, France.  On one visit, Mary told her to dig in the dirt and she uncovered a hidden spring.  The waters of the spring have healing properties - 68 miraculous healings are officially recognized by the Church, although there are probably thousands more that have not met the strict criteria to be officially recognized.  However, I think the coolest thing about Bernadette is that, when her body was exhumed during the investigation into the cause for her canonization (30 years after her death) she was found to be incorrupt.  Her feast day is April 16.