In this year dedicated to prayer, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is joining in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionally celebrated from 18th to 25th January, with a call to conversion.
On 25th January, the Church celebrates the conversion of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus, one of the most powerful manifestations of divine grace, which transformed Saul, the fierce persecutor of Christians, into the Apostle of the nations. The man, full of certainty about his God, is struck down on the road to Damascus. His eyes were closed to open before the One against whom he was fighting: he fell to the ground, blinded by the light of God: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4-5)
Praying with Our Lady of Lourdes.
Stay in touch with the Grotto of Massabielle by downloading the new app: Praying with Our Lady of Lourdes.
In Lourdes, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Orthodox parish in Lourdes invites you to come and explore Byzantine art. On Saturday 20th January 2024, from 10am to 4pm, at the church of Saint-Jean Baptiste (in the Lannedarré district). Fr Georges Ashkov, founding archpriest of the Lourdes parish, will introduce the day and at 10.30 am, Ms Olga Astorg, an iconographer, will give a talk on Byzantine art, followed by an exhibition with commentary.
Saint Paul's call to conversion
The term “conversion” to express the change that Paul refers to is somewhat ambiguous in today’s language. He did not convert from sin to holiness; he did not convert from a false religion to the true one: Paul never abandoned his Jewish faith when he embraced Christ Jesus, quite the contrary. But he did radically change his view of the person of Jesus: the One who was Crucified on Good Friday was no longer God’s accursed one in his eyes, but his Son glorified because of his obedience to God’s love. In this sense, we can speak of a “conversion”, a complete “reversal”.
It was this same call to conversion that the Virgin Mary made to Bernadette on 24th February 1858 when she said, “Penance, penance, penance. Pray to God for the conversion of sinners”. By “penance” we mean conversion. For the Church, conversion consists, as Christ taught, in turning one’s heart towards God and towards one’s brothers and sisters.
Love the Lord your God... and your neighbour as yourself
Every year, the main ecumenical highlight remains the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” which, between 18th and 25th January, has brought together Christians of all denominations since 1908, The theme for 202 is “Love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself”.
The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, from 18th to 25th January 2024, was chosen by the Christians of Burkina Faso.
Christians are called to act like Christ by loving like the Good Samaritan, showing pity and compassion for those in need, whatever their religious, ethnic or social identity. What should motivate us to help others is not our shared identity, but our love of our “neighbour”. It is by learning to love one another, beyond our differences, that Christians can become “neighbours”, like the Samaritan in the Gospel.
Throughout the pilgrimage season, Lourdes offers this welcome to our neighbours, especially the most vulnerable, people who are sick, disabled… different.
Come to Lourdes and become a Good Samaritan by putting yourself at the service of pilgrims.
