Lourdes Pilgrimage - Day 8
Smiles for miles
I didn’t realize it at the time we signed up, but we’ve been to six masses at six different churches on this pilgrimage. Today, we were at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, or the “upper basilica,” which was built above the Lourdes Grotto. Honestly, there’s a lot of churches around here.
Amelia has most of the prayers and standard songs from mass memorized. The MLD slows her reaction time, though. So, after the first reading, when the lector said, “The word of the Lord” and the congregation responded, “Thanks be to God,” there was a slight pause, followed by Amelia saying in a loud, clear voice, “THANKS BE TO GOD.”
The rest of the day, people came up to us and said they knew it was her.
It was a day of goodbyes, to the knights and dames, the other malades, to St. Bernadette and Our Lady. At the farewell party at the end of the day, everyone told us they love how positive and upbeat Amelia always is. She smiles at everyone, and just enjoying observing what’s going on around her.
Kirrily took Amelia to bed, and packed our bags (thanks, honey!), so I took one final walk around the sanctuary with a few other pilgrims. We wound up at the candle chapel, and lit a few candles.
They were a half-dozen or so brulières, a place for burning devotional candles, protected from the wind and rain. It was humbling, and a bit daunting, to see just how many candles were lit with special intentions for the sick and infirm.
The candle I placed for Amelia was one of the smallest, and it felt inadequate. But one of the nuns I was with said it was appropriate, because Amelia herself is so little, but smiles so brightly.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
O Most Holy Mother of my Jesus, you who saw and felt the extreme desolation of your dear Son, help us in our own time of desolation.
And you saints of Heaven who have passed through this trial, have pity on those who are suffering it now and pray that we be given the grace to be faithful until death.
And in a particular way, dear St. Bernadette, we ask for your intercession for the intentions on our heart, that Amelia be cured of her metachromatic leukodystrophy.
St. Bernadette, at the young age of 14, you were questioned regularly about the apparitions. You stated what happened over and over again as they tried to trick you into speaking inconsistently. You said, “My job is to inform, not convince.” Teach me to speak Truth simply with conviction.
Jesus, grow in me, in my heart, in my spirit, in my imagination, and in my senses, by your modesty, your purity, your humility, your zeal, and your love. Grow with your grace, your light, your peace. Grow despite my resistance and my pride. Grow as you did at Nazareth before God and before men, for the glory of your Father.
Okay, more pictures of the basilica—
Seriously, we traded these for air conditioning and padded kneelers. And don’t get me wrong, padded kneelers are cool, but I wish we still had churches that look like churches.
