Lourdes: Where hope springs eternal

In this age of coincidences and cures, of scientific breakthroughs and inexplicable interventions, of blind faith and blatant skepticism, why do over six million people still go to Lourdes each year, year after year, some over and over again, to seek a miracle?

They come from far and wide — on their feet, on their backs, on their knees. Young, old, very old; some robust and sturdy, others on their deathbed.

They come to Lourdes, on the foot of the picturesque Pyrenees mountains in France, as pilgrims have been coming to this city for the last 150 years to drink from and take a dip in a spring that is said to have miraculous therapeutic powers. The spring has reportedly produced 27,000 gallons of water each week since it first emerged after the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

Since 1860, some 200 million pilgrims have flocked to Lourdes and 67 documented medical miracles have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. You can Google the list, which details the illness, the cure and the personal circumstances of the recipient of the miracle.

Next to Paris, Lourdes, a city of only 17,000, is the second most popular city in France. It ranks second in the number of hotel rooms in the country and in keeping perhaps with the values of Mary, hotel room rates are one of the cheapest in Europe. A room in a three-star hotel with the same amenities as in other European cities can go as low as 70 euros in Lourdes.

You can fool one, maybe 1,000, maybe 100,000 with false hopes and promises. You will believe in anyone and everything when you are desperate. But fakes fizzle out in a month, a year, 10 years at the most.

But why does hope spring eternal in Lourdes?

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There is a saying, “Don’t just believe in miracles; depend on them.” God performs miracles, and Catholics believe Mary’s intercession is very powerful.

Miracles have the force of a tsunami, and the softness of a rose petal. A cripple that is able to walk again is a miracle. A tumor that shrinks and disappears is a miracle. A change of heart is a miracle. Humility is a miracle. Acceptance is a miracle. Refusal to accept defeat is a miracle. Forgiveness is a miracle.

Knowing with every fiber of your being that God will never abandon you, and that Mary will never leave you unaided (Remember the “Memorare”) is a miracle in itself for it makes you capable of effecting or receiving a superhuman change. You may not have received a miracle but you could be a miracle to others. All these miracles and more happen in Lourdes.

My mother Sonia, sisters Dr. Geraldine Mayor and Valerie Sotto (with her husband Ping, children Miguel and Patricia and sister-in-law banker Celia Sotto) and I rendezvoused in Lourdes end of May — the Santacruzan season in the Philippines, the month when the world celebrates Mother’s Day. It was the perfect time to be in the bosom of Our Lady of Lourdes.

From Manila, I flew KLM (truly reliable, for we always safely landed in our destination before schedule) to Amsterdam on this journey of faith. KLM flies direct daily from Manila to Amsterdam, the only European carrier to fly direct from Manila to Europe, so it is really very convenient for Pinoys flying to major European cities like Paris. I then took an Air France flight to Paris, then connected to Lourdes.

Lourdes is a charming little town, the type you see in storybooks, filled with meadows and charming farmhouses.

It was here, on Feb. 25, 1858 that the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to a poor, sickly teenager Bernadette Soubirous. Dressed in white and with a blue sash around her waist, she asked Bernadette to go down on her knees, kiss the ground and eat the grass there “for sinners.” The water that sprung from the ground was said to be repugnant. Our Lady, according to Bernadette, seemed so sad and asked her to pray for sinners. The first reported miracle took place on March 1, 1858 and the last documented miracle, in 1952. The 1952 miracle was confirmed just six years ago by the International Medical Committee of Lourdes.

The focal point of Lourdes is a 52-hectare sanctuary that cradles the Our Lady of Rosary Basilica, the Immaculate Conception Basilica, the Grotto where Our Lady was said to have appeared to Bernadette, and the covered pools. There are 17 covered pools (something like the hot springs of Pansol in Laguna), 11 for women, and six for men. It takes about an hour from the entrance to the pools (from afar, the pools look like just a covered carport) to the moment you dip into the pool’s waters. You pray the rosary as you await your turn. Then, volunteer attendants help you undress and cover you with a plain cloak, which they hold on to as you submerge yourself into the pool. The effect of the freezing waters on your naked body is jolting and humbling, and the impact on your soul, the very heart of you, no less electrifying. My warm tears soon flowed into the cold waters. For me, being there was already a miracle.

(To be concluded)

 (There are daily flights Paris-Lourdes on Air France. You may call (02) 887-1202 for inquiries. For Manila-Amsterdam on KLM daily direct flights, you may book on www.klm.com.ph)

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