I spent the weekend in Lourdes. I'm not Catholic, I'm Hindu, but we're very liberal. My mother has always wanted to go, mainly because of the concept of salvation through a mother figure, and also because Lourdes is one of those special places to which we need to go.
The story behind the whole place is really out there. I like it. I like the idea of visions and miracles and blessings and hope. The many sanctuaries are all beautiful and there is a glorious sense of redemption in the air. It's true what they say - people of all sizes and colours and ages and shapes stand side by side. I was surprised at the number of Tamil people; everywhere we turned there was another family approaching us. You know my mother, she loves a good chinwag, so by the end of the weekend she had quite the following.
I spent a lot of time in nice quiet reflection in various chapels. The Rosary Way in the Sanctuary helped pilgrims reflect and pray with its empathic depictions of the Mysteries. We joined in on the night-time procession on Saturday - an hour of slowly stepping around the Domain holding candles and praying. Thousands of people take part, it's an awesome act of collective worship. We visited the cave site where St Bernadette had her apparitions of Mary. We also collected holy spring water from the Grotto and bathed in Lourdes water. This was particularly moving, the nuns were all so kind and calm, it made it easy to believe. There were so many people there who had come to help others, and so many who had come to be healed, it made me feel blessed for all that I had. And also I feel like I have a new start. I know it sounds like I am listing activities that we completed, but I can't adequately describe the sense of contentment I still have within me now. I wish that people could be the way they are in Lourdes everywhere.
Aside from the religious aspect, we also did some touristy stuff. We took the venicular train up the Pic du Jer (one of the foothills of the Pyrenees), which was beautiful, clean and fresh. Hilariously, on our little carriage was a group of crazy old French tourists. There were about ten of them and three played accordions. All the way up they sang fun songs, and then when we reached the top, we formed a big circle and learned French folk dances from them. It was so surreal, but liberating too, twirling around with old people on the top of a mountain, it was ace! We also did our dues to the local souvenir shopkeepers by purchasing all kinds of tourist paraphernalia, and enjoyed some good rugby :)
I had a really good weekend, despite not being too well, and I put it all down to the aura of Lourdes. Try and go if you can, the spirituality is overwhelming.
The story behind the whole place is really out there. I like it. I like the idea of visions and miracles and blessings and hope. The many sanctuaries are all beautiful and there is a glorious sense of redemption in the air. It's true what they say - people of all sizes and colours and ages and shapes stand side by side. I was surprised at the number of Tamil people; everywhere we turned there was another family approaching us. You know my mother, she loves a good chinwag, so by the end of the weekend she had quite the following.
I spent a lot of time in nice quiet reflection in various chapels. The Rosary Way in the Sanctuary helped pilgrims reflect and pray with its empathic depictions of the Mysteries. We joined in on the night-time procession on Saturday - an hour of slowly stepping around the Domain holding candles and praying. Thousands of people take part, it's an awesome act of collective worship. We visited the cave site where St Bernadette had her apparitions of Mary. We also collected holy spring water from the Grotto and bathed in Lourdes water. This was particularly moving, the nuns were all so kind and calm, it made it easy to believe. There were so many people there who had come to help others, and so many who had come to be healed, it made me feel blessed for all that I had. And also I feel like I have a new start. I know it sounds like I am listing activities that we completed, but I can't adequately describe the sense of contentment I still have within me now. I wish that people could be the way they are in Lourdes everywhere.
Aside from the religious aspect, we also did some touristy stuff. We took the venicular train up the Pic du Jer (one of the foothills of the Pyrenees), which was beautiful, clean and fresh. Hilariously, on our little carriage was a group of crazy old French tourists. There were about ten of them and three played accordions. All the way up they sang fun songs, and then when we reached the top, we formed a big circle and learned French folk dances from them. It was so surreal, but liberating too, twirling around with old people on the top of a mountain, it was ace! We also did our dues to the local souvenir shopkeepers by purchasing all kinds of tourist paraphernalia, and enjoyed some good rugby :)
I had a really good weekend, despite not being too well, and I put it all down to the aura of Lourdes. Try and go if you can, the spirituality is overwhelming.
