Lourdes is nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The mountain peaks are ladened with snow. The rushing Gave de Pau River flowing through the town of Lourdes is fed from the melt of these frosty slopes. The rocky range serves not only as a formidable natural border between Spain and France; it also squeezes and funnels the moist Atlantic currents keeping the area wet with rain and the breezes chilly.
That describes today's beginning, chilly and damp. As the day progressed, the clouds gave way to the rays of the sun. The verdant area of the shrine came to life in the warm light.
The grotto, a number of basilicas and chapels, the baths, as well as other buildings serving the endless stream of pilgrims are clustered in a park-like setting. Passing through the gates of the Shrine's domain, the pilgrims leave behind the many bustling shops and restaurants of Lourdes to enter a sanctuary where Our Lady of Lourdes uses the beauty of both heaven and earth to embrace her children, especially the sick and all those who implore her assistance.
Mass with the anointing of the sick was offered for the pilgrims invited to Lourdes by the Order of Malta. The pilgrims who are sick are known by the French word "malades". Most of the malades also have a companion who may be their spouse, parent, one of their children, a sibling, or a friend. As the pilgrimage progresses, all the pilgrims become companions on a common spiritual journey. What was for many of the malades a reason for feeling isolated and alone before the pilgrimage becomes the common bond that unites hearts in seeking the mercy of Jesus in the tranquil sanctuary of Lourdes.
The quiet but active tender mothering of Mary's care is evident in the smiles and laughter as well as tears that begin to weave strangers together into friends coming to table of her beloved Son, Jesus.
Read more from Bishop Jaime Soto's 2024 pilgrimage to Lourdes: First Dispatch