6th August, the Feast of the Transfiguration, has a special significance for Christians throughout the world. It commemorates the revelation of Jesus’ divine glory to three of his disciples on Mount Tabor. The Transfiguration is a feast that reminds the faithful of Christ’s divinity and the hope of eternal glory.
The Feast of the Transfiguration and the Sanctuary of Lourdes are intimately linked by their ability to reveal divine light and offer spiritual transformation. Lourdes, as a house of prayer, mercy and consolation, embodies the profound values of the Christian faith. On this day of the Transfiguration, Lourdes becomes a place where each person’s faith can be renewed, our spirit comforted and our soul purified.
Lourdes: a house of prayer
Since the Marian apparitions to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, Lourdes has become a spiritual centre where millions of pilgrims come every year to pray and seek healing.
The Sanctuary of Lourdes is a “house of prayer”, as the Holy Father reminded us at the Second International Meeting of Rectors. At Lourdes, prayer takes many forms: pilgrims attend mass, recite the rosary, walk in procession and meditate in the silence of the chapel of Adoration or at the Grotto of Massabielle where the Virgin Mary appeared dressed in white and surrounded by light.
Lourdes: a house of mercy
Lourdes is also a place of mercy. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Sanctuary is the welcome it extends to the sick and disabled. Every year, thousands of sufferers come to Lourdes to seek physical and spiritual healing. Other pilgrims arrive in the hope of finding inner peace.
The Lourdes baths, where pilgrims can perform the gesture that Mary asked Bernadette to do on 25th February 1858: “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself there”, is a place for healing the body, a powerful symbol of purification and divine mercy.
The Chapel of Reconciliation and the Listening Point are places where pilgrims can go to receive God’s forgiveness or to let go of the burdens that life sometimes brings.
Lourdes: a house of consolation and compassion
Lourdes is a house of consolation, a place where compassion and love are palpably manifest, offering comfort to afflicted souls. For those who are suffering, whether physically or morally, Lourdes offers a refuge of peace and comfort. The constant presence of volunteers, the Hospitality od Our Lady of Lourdes, and numerous charitable organisations, create an environment of support and friendship.
In Lourdes, pilgrims often find spiritual consolation that goes beyond words. Simply being in this place, surrounded by the faith and devotion of others, brings a profound sense of inner peace. The Virgin Mary, in appearing to Bernadette, created a place where souls can find consolation and hope, and this promise continues to be fulfilled every day.
Every day, the Sanctuary of Lourdes offers a way of compassion for all those faced with the loss of a child: stillborn, deceased or “missing”. Individuals and families are guided and accompanied on their journey of inner consolation. At the end of their journey, parents are invited to write their child’s first name in a “Book of Life”, as prayer intentions that will be offered by local nuns and pilgrims.
