Feastday of Our Lady of Lourdes
This image can be found in the underground
basilica at Lourdes (Basilica of St. Pius X),
which also houses the Indoor Way of the Cross.
As always with our Blessed Mother, even at Lourdes she turns our gaze directly towards Her Son, Jesus.
Among the many other activities at Lourdes between the months of April and October, there is a daily Procession of the Blessed Sacrament.
As described on the website Lourdes-france, it is “one of the oldest traditions of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, to which has been added the Blessing of the Sick.” The website goes on to tell us that “this celebration affirms three things: the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacred Host consecrated, our need to see the One who loves us, and that the Son of God is always among us in our joys and sorrows.”
Traditionally used from the Feast of the Purification (February 2nd) until Wednesday in the Holy Week.
Hail, Queen of heaven;
Hail, Mistress of the Angels;
Hail, root of Jesus.
Hail, the gate through which the Light rose over the earth.
Rejoice, Virgin most renowned and of unsurpassed beauty,
and pray for us to Christ.
forget me not | Homepage | 02.11.07 – 5:36 am | #
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The graphic is wonderful.. is it Mary being assumed into Heaven, or is it Jesus ascending to the Father? Or is one supposed to wonder exactly that, and see the similarity? Beautiful. I think I am one who’d much rather see Lourdes one day, than see Rome or even the Holy Land.
C | 02.11.07 – 9:08 am | #
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Well, I thought it was Mary, but I couldn’t find any info on it to share, and I honestly don’t remember seeing it when I was at Lourdes. Now, how could someone forget something like that?
Gabrielle | Homepage | 02.11.07 – 9:38 am | #
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I like this Lourdes link, Gabrielle.
I am retiring in June and a Pilgrimage is in the future..near future!
I am trying to discern whether it will be to the shrines of France/Spain/Portugal
or to the Holy Land.
I have been praying and sending for brochures. This is an exciting time in life for me right now. Total transition.
teresa_anawim | 02.11.07 – 12:55 pm | #
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Gabrielle, I love this beautiful chant, too.
Kristen Laurence | Homepage | 02.11.07 – 3:10 pm | #
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Gabrielle, will you please devote a whole post to your Lourdes visit?
C | 02.12.07 – 1:12 am | #
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(((fmn))) I hope you’re feeling a bit less stressed today. Take a long walk in that warm Italian sun for me, will you?
teresa, that’s really wonderful. I’m so happy for you that you’re taking an early retirement. Total transition, as you say. I wouldn’t know how to choose amongst the pilgrimages either, but it’s a pretty exciting decision to be making!
Kristen, thanks; it’s a short clip, but sweet!
Carol, it was quite a whirlwind visit, inbetween visits to relatives, rather than the real kind of pilgrimage I would like to do if I ever go again. And it was a few years ago, so unfortunately, no digital photos. But I could try to put together a little something one of these days; my husband has some pretty wonderful memories from his youth as well.
Gabrielle | Homepage | 02.12.07 – 9:39 am | #
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Oh, Gabrielle, I’m home sick. I’ve had a headache for the past 3 days (stemming from my neck which is very tense). I feel like I’m drunk, really. The weather has been gloomy the past 4 days, very damp but not enough rain to appease the wheat crops which are just now beginning to come up and need lots of water. It’s not cold though.
forget me not | Homepage | 02.12.07 – 11:32 am | #
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I’m sorry you’re feeling so poorly, fmn. I guess it’s all the stress re your aunt Rose and the work involved (and maybe too much time at the computer re translations, etc.? That always affects my neck.) But it doesn’t sound good to me if you feel like you’re drunk; you go see a doctor soon if that feeling persists, okay?
Gabrielle | Homepage | 02.12.07 – 12:51 pm | #
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I hope that I have the good fortune to get to Lourdes one day. I feel a particular affinity with St. Bernadette and the Lourdes apparition.
I was at a book fair a few years ago and found an old copy of the “Song of Bernadette” among the thousands of books on display. I didn’t buy it but a couple of days later I came across it again in our church library. I borrowed it and read it.
I found Bernadette’s story to be profoundly beautiful and moving and, ultimately, faith affirming. To think that a Jewish man wrote the book with such reverence and attention to Catholic detail is astonishing.
I felt truly connected when I found out that Bernadette’s feast day is my birthday.
I need to see this holy place.
terry | Homepage | 02.12.07 – 1:11 pm | #
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Terry, I was just over at your site a few minutes ago. I love the new look! I saw the movie of the “Song of Bernadette”, but I’ve never actually read the book, and I didn’t know the author was Jewish. That’s really quite something, that St. Bernadette’s feastday is your birthday! Things like that always mean so much to us, particularly when it’s a saint that we feel very close to.
Here is Owen’s comment, which I found on my Blogger Dashboard and am transcribing here: Onionboy says: “Glorious painting.” Well, thank you Owen!
Gabrielle | Homepage | 02.12.07 – 1:32 pm | #
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Oh dear, this thing keeps losing my meatier comments. I love Bernadette, and just looking at pictures of crutches hung, suddenly unneeded, brings a peace like no other. The wellness of God, wished upon us.. can we even imagine. I hope you and your husband will collaborate on Lourdes’ memories and present them here.. I’d sure love to read of them.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:22 pm