McGrath Institute Blog

On February 11, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the title given to Mary when she appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 in Lourdes, France. There are a number of ways to commemorate Our Lady of Lourdes as a family. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is coming up on February 11th. Tomorrow, we’ll post some ways to celebrate this great feast of Our Lady, but today I wanted to share with you one of our favorite family activities for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes—baking a grotto cake!

In Mexico, we eat tamales all year long, but Candlemas on February 2 has its own special traditions. On this day, we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple by gathering as a community, clothing the Baby Jesus in special garments, honoring him on our family altars and singing the Baby Jesus to sleep.

Stained glass luminaries are a perfect craft to celebrate Candlemas. With simple materials and a stunning effect, they’re a great activity for the family and home. The soft glow of candlelight provides an opportunity to teach about the prophecy of Simeon, that Jesus would be the light to all nations.

On February 2—forty days after Christmas—the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, calling to mind the Holy Family’s observance of the Mosaic Law (see Leviticus 12:1–8). Mary comes to the Temple forty days after giving birth to Jesus, and she and Joseph offer for her purification a sacrifice of two turtledoves, the offering prescribed for the poor. In addition, Mary and Joseph present and dedicate Jesus to God, as he is Mary’s firstborn Son (see Exodus 13:2–16).