February 11- Our Lady of Lourdes

I have many fond and wonderful memories of my two trips to Lourdes in the summers of 2001 and 2002 with the Ampleforth Hospitalite from England. They range from the sacred- working with the malades in the hospitals and conveying them to and from the shrine in wheelchairs and voitures, attending Mass in the Underground Basilica, making a retreat in the village of Bartres- to the profane (har har); exploring the streets at night, watching the fireworks on Bastille Day, singing "Danny Boy" at the Ward party, eating the best country-style omelet of my life in the Cafe Eden at two in the morning, where they charged you for catsup by the packet. Perhaps my favorite memory is the torchlight procession, winding from the grotto into and around the main square in front of the basilica as the Rosary is recited. At the end, all join in the Salve Regina, and exchange the sign of peace. "Peace be with you" said someone to me in a language I didn't recognize. "Et cum spiritu tuo" I responded. "Oh, you're American!" said he, to my surprise. (Was it the accent?) The other essential element of any pilgrimage to Lourdes (at least in my opinion) is the "Grot Trot", a midnight visit to the grotto. The grotto can of course be visited at any time, but late-night visits are the most conducive to quiet reflection.

Working in the hospital I found difficult and exhausting at first, persevering merely because I had to. It was not until the first several days had passed that I began to see into the real significance of Lourdes, not by looking past the work, but through it. During a brief retreat in the nearby village of Bartres, we discussed how we could apply the lessons of Lourdes in our everyday lives. "Is there something in Lourdes which cannot be found anywhere else?" someone asked. I suggested that perhaps it was not a question of something found only at Lourdes, but that in Lourdes the value of service and the virtue of charity were somehow more focused and easily recognized. The challenge was to follow the call when it was less clear, obscured by the confusion of the outside world. From that point, although the work was no less exhausting, it was easier to understand and to recognize its value; to recognize gratitude in the faces of the malades simply for a kind word or a thoughtful gesture, and to recognize in turn that I was learning and benefiting from them and through my service to them.

Our Lady of Lourdes, ora pro nobis.