Finding faith

Many emotions flooded through me when we visited Lourdes again after nine years. It was our honeymoon then and the one thing that hasn’t changed in that time is our deep love for our Lady and her Son. Yet, we have come so far, as individuals, and as a couple. Immensely grateful and still amazed at the multiple blessings. Lourdes felt familiar and dear to us, much like an old friend. I felt a sense of homecoming and I was heartened to note the number of young pilgrims to the shrine. Their brightly coloured hats brought a vibrancy to the place which was uplifting. P and I are on a Marian pilgrimage that covers France, Spain and Portugal. From its inception, this trip has been fraught with many obstacles and challenges, too many to enumerate. But, by His grace, we are here, and we seek His strength through surrender, inspired very much by Mother Mary herself.

Thus far, the word that keeps coming through repeatedly is humility and our great need of it, if we intend to make His will ours. The humility of Saint Bernadette who does not forget anyone, and that of Saint Jean Vianney who won over his parishioners and radically transformed not just them, but scores of people who travelled from afar, just to make their confession with him. We have now finished our France leg and have crossed over to Spain where we will visit the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona after our eight-hour bus ride. I look forward to the surfeit of beauty that owes its form to the imagination of Antoni Gaudi. I thank God for His journey mercies for thanks to intermittent rain, it has been cool with no sign of the heat wave that visited Europe a week ago. His love never ceases to amaze.