By: Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D.
Praised be Jesus Christ! Thanks to all who are tuning in…and for those who asked for prayers…count on it!
We are beginning our third full day in Lourdes. I’m not even sure where to begin. First and foremost, the love and care the malades receive speak volumes of the Order of Malta and the good work they do. It really does make you proud to be Catholic.
As you walk the streets of Lourdes, as you sit down at the grotto to pray, you hear a multitude of languages, you see a variety of faces, you experience many emotions throughout the course of just one day. Sitting at the grotto, looking at the statue of our Lady erected where she would have appeared to Bernadette, you hear the birds chirping around you and wonder if that’s what Bernadette heard the first time she saw our Lady. You see the deep devotion of the people as they process by, touching the rocks, asking for healing for themselves and their loved ones and it makes you wonder. You wonder about the depth of your own faith and you ponder the many blessings you’ve received in life. Lourdes makes you pause. God is real. Heaven is real. Life is a journey. And you never walk this journey alone.
The Order of Malta has deeply meaningful opportunities for the malades and their caregivers to enter fully into the spirit of Lourdes: the washing of the feet, anointing of the sick, praying the way of the cross. Their suffering is embraced and supported by all who are with them. The spirit of faith, the level of suffering these families endure inspires one to live life more fully, to be grateful for all the gifts one has, especially good health.
I can’t begin to identify one event or one thing that really struck me. It all sort of rolls together. It’s a spirit that permeates this holy place. I did have the blessing of being anointed yesterday, for which I thank God. Everyone needs some kind of healing in their lives.
I’m looking out into the countryside as I write this. An early morning sunrise, where the clouds of rain are letting the light peep through. Its a bit chilly. It’s green, lush. Quaint houses populating the mountainside. Birds chirping. A French flag waving on top of what once must have been a fortress. Lourdes is starting to wake up.
We look forward to seeing what our Lady holds for us today, this first Saturday of May. God bless you and be assured of our prayers…
By: Sister Gloria Therese, O.C.D.
It is so simply beautiful in Lourdes.
Springtime here has a charming beauty with singing birds, gentle breezes, green landscapes and shining sun on shining, hopeful faces.
The Pyrenees mountains with their enveloping pure snowcapped peaks, remind us that the pure Immaculate Conception, the Mother of God, embraces all who come here to seek out the solace and peace that comes through healing.
Truly, the world here is right side up- where the sick, the poor, the lame are first. To see all so attentive to the needs of those who come here is an incredible witness to the life of faith. It is a true semblance of eternity -right here in the midst of Lourdes.
