I first entered the sacred space of Lourdes for the nightly candlelight Rosary procession. It had been a long and exhausting Sunday, traveling from Paris to Southern France on the high-speed TGV train before finally finding myself at one of the most beloved places in Catholicism.
As I joined the chorus of “Immaculate Mary” while raising my candle towards the night sky between Rosary decades, I had one of the most powerful experiences of my life. The “Ave, Ave, Ave Maria” died away from my lips as a more sincere profession welled up in my heart: “I made it, Mary! I’m here.” I felt like a little child again, bringing something small but important to Mom. My gift, held high, was the light of a small taper candle, and I was confident that my arrival was received and counted by her.
I knew that it mattered to our Lady that I came, and likewise, it should matter for our lives that she came too. On several frigid February days fewer than two centuries ago, she appeared to Saint Bernadette in a cove facing a patch of wasteland and left her presence to us here at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains. Other visitors to Lourdes have confirmed the same sense: Mary was here and is here. Everything about those holy grounds points to this.
Held > Healed
The architecture of Lourdes looks like Mary reaching out to us. A stone colonnade extends from the Basilica like two loving arms, wide open and ready to receive the joyful relief of pilgrims after a long journey. They lead the way up into the sanctuaries dedicated to our Lady, which are built upon the rock of the Grotto of Massabielle. This architectural significance represents the beauty of Lourdes as a place not just of answered prayers or instant miracles (although healings truly occur here), but of something much more powerful and lasting: the assurance that everything is cared for by our Lady.
I arrived in Lourdes with my heart full of half-articulated requests for healings of various kinds, especially for many close to me. I offered those prayers with peace and detachment, trusting that Mother Mary knew best. While physical healing is for some and spiritual healing is granted to many, our Lady’s presence is perpetual and meant for all of us. Not everything is immediately healed, but everything is constantly held.
As we celebrate this Marian apparition today, here are three aspects of Lourdes that we can recall in daily life.
1. Something Blue
When you think of Our Lady of Lourdes, what color comes to mind? Each major Marian Apparition seems to have a color of its own, and Lourdes is the classic Blessed-Mother blue. Mary appeared to Bernadette wearing a sash of this celestial color over her white robe, a reminder of the ultimate healing that awaits us in eternity: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other” (third apparition on February 18, 1858).
The blue also reminds us of water––the miraculous healing spring that Mary revealed to Saint Bernadette. The Gave de Pau River flows past the Basilica and Grotto, edging the shrine grounds, and over it, the Pont Saint-Michel (Bridge of Saint Michael) leads into the town of Lourdes. On a clear day, the blue of the river mirrors the bright sky, bringing to mind the words of Psalm 46:4: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.” When tempestuous waters threaten to pull us away from our spiritual anchor, trust in our Lady restores us to still waters of peace.
2. Light for Others
As the Rosary procession began and the melody of the Latin Creed echoed through the front square, a river of candles slowly spread through the crowd as each of us received a light from someone nearby. Candlelight is one of the signs of Lourdes, the sister who provided our tour told me, because it represents our call to self-gift. Just as the flame consumes the wax and burns down the wick to its very end, we must give of ourselves to the utmost throughout our lives. And just as we light our candles from one another for procession, those close to us illumine our lives and inspire us to keep on giving.
Candles of petition and thanksgiving glow in the three basilicas, and tall tapers perpetually grace a tiered candelabra in the grotto, a faithful pillar of flame that burns right in front of the spot where Mary appeared. The little flames of our candles also reflect the lights of the stars in the sky and remind us that we were made for Heaven. (You can request a candle for your intentions online here.)
3. Find Your Rock of Refuge
As a medieval fortress perched high above the cliffs stands guard and watches the valley below, the Basilica of Lourdes watches over all who approach. Like a castle built into the rock of Massabielle, the basilica is a spiritual haven among the forests and peaks of the Pyrenees. Far from accidental, this position signifies a firm foundation in the midst of chaos, mirroring one of our Lady’s titles: Refuge of Sinners.
The rock of the Lourdes grotto is also a place of constant prayer, where Rosaries are recited, hymns are sung, and Mass is celebrated daily (even at 10 p.m. on a regular basis). This reminds us that continual prayer and thoughts of God should also be our rock and mainstay in daily life: “the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2).
The Place of Her Presence
In this place where her feet touched man’s world and her gaze reached the humble heart of Saint Bernadette, Mary gently signals that she is our place of rest. That’s why we bring to Lourdes everything that weighs on our hearts; that’s why even those who come for healing but leave unchanged in body can return home satisfied. Back in the cares of life and work and home, we can still place ourselves in Mary’s presence and remember that everything is held.
Leila Joy Castillo calls Florida home but left her heart in hill country long ago. An alumna of Ave Maria University, she freelances in Catholic communications and is a published writer, primarily on Blessed is She and Ascension. When not dabbling in the multitudinous Google docs of her articles, Leila delights in music, personalist philosophy, quality time with her younger siblings, and her literary trifecta: Austen, Lewis, and Dante. You can find her on Instagram @leila_joyinthejourney or follow her personal site here.
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