Catholic Review of: Lourdes Today

More than 70 years ago, Fr. Raoul Plus pointed out the value of a yearly commemoration (every February 11) of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. He wrote, "I . . . profit by it to intensify my love of Mary and to emulate Bernadette in tender simplicity, filial confidence and absolute devotion." Certainly, we too can profit in the same way, especially in this year that marks the 150th anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes.

Unfortunately, not many of us will be able to make an actual pilgrimage to Lourdes this year. However, we can do as many have done in the past and make a spiritual, interior pilgrimage. A number of books have been released this year to help us capture the spirituality and message of Lourdes. A most worthy volume, Lourdes Today, has been penned by Kerry Crawford.

Crawford takes the pilgrim reader on a tour of Lourdes and the grotto of Massabielle. She leads us on the candlelight procession and down into the baths. With her, we see the sick and suffering and the volunteers who assist them. We drink of the waters and witness changed lives. All is conveyed with sparkling prose.

However, the author’s craft is best demonstrated in her ability to help us see Lourdes not through her eyes alone, but through the eyes of others. She shares with the reader the witness of many who have been touched by a visit to Lourdes over the past 150 years. Included among these witnesses are several popes including John Paul II, who visited the shrine five times, twice during his pontificate. During his final visit in 2004, the Pontiff came as one of the sick and suffering. To them he said, "I would like to embrace each and every one of you with affection, to tell you how close I am to you and how much I support you." The Holy Father who gave his support to others needed to be supported during this visit when he came as both "suffering servant and Good Samaritan." In this, Pope John Paul II gave a powerful witness of the grace of Lourdes.

The author of Lourdes Today did her research well, for she also gives us glimpses into the hearts and minds of the multitudes of ordinary men and women who have had extraordinary experiences at Lourdes. There certainly are those who have been touched physically, but for many the touch is at a much deeper level. One of those pilgrims tells Crawford, "When you set out with the heart of a pilgrim, you’re not leaving any space between you and God. . . . You are open to being touched however God chooses to touch you."

Indeed, many have been and continue to be touched. One person testifies that his pilgrimage allowed him "to accept God’s will" with peace. Another gives witness to the "spiritual fruits" of her journey. Many speak of conversion, repentance, and a "deeper love of God and others over self." Perhaps the most cited grace is that of joy. As one person states, "Lourdes is somewhere suspended between heaven and earth."

Crawford also gives a brief history of the apparitions and of the life of Bernadette. She describes the rigorous procedure in certifying a physical miracle. The connection between the message of Our Lady and the witness of Bernadette, and Church Tradition and Scripture is clearly illustrated.

An estimated 200 million people have visited Lourdes in the 150 years since the apparitions. What is the goal of these pilgrimages? Tom Joyce, who has made several visits, tells us in the book that "every personal pilgrimage should lead one to be just a bit more like Christ, strengthened for the journey of life and empowered to live one’s baptism to the full."

As a priest connected with the shrine tells the reader, "The true grotto is our own hearts." It surely would be a great blessing to visit Lourdes during this anniversary year. But if that is not possible, we can find that beautiful lady from heaven, who revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, within our personal grotto. It takes only a pilgrim’s heart. Lourdes Today provides a great tour guide. 

- Regis J. Flaherty (from Lay Witness magazine. www.cuf.org)

You can purchase this tite here.