Lourdes (AsiaNews) – After Paris, Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France continues in Lourdes, the famous Marian shrine at the foot of the Pyrenees where he arrived yesterday evening, and where he prayed at the Grotto of the Apparitions, the very spot where, in 1858, the young Saint Bernadette spoke of her encounter with the “Lady dressed in white,” who identified herself as the “Immaculate Conception”.
This morning the pontiff arrived at 10:15 am to greet the assembled crowd while riding in an open-top vehicle, followed by Mass at 11:00 am, celebrated at the shrine’s “Prairie”, the vast meadow capable of accommodating large crowds, in the presence of some 150,000 people.
“[I]n seeing you gathered here this morning in our Mother’s home, I see the universal face of the Church,” Leo said in the homily.
The apparitions at Lourdes were officially recognised by the Church in 1862. Today, the shrine is visited by millions of pilgrims every year, coming from every continent.
“May this pilgrimage rekindle the flame of faith in your homes and parishes. Take the consolation of Lourdes back to your neighbors, your loved ones and the whole French people.”
Mary's call to conversion
In his homily, Leo XIV commented on the passages in today's liturgy that underline the “central part” of the message Mary gave to Bernadette, “the call to conversion, both tender and urgent,” he said.
In particular, in today’s Gospel (Mt 21, 28-32), “Jesus looks with truth and deep sorrow upon hearts that have remained closed,” he said. “Why does this wound the heart of Christ? Because God does not want his children to be lost, “he added.
The pope noted the “call to repentance” that resonate through the Scriptures. “Its gravity reminds us of the urgency and necessity of conversion. It is today, not tomorrow, that we must repent,” the pontiff explained. “To repent is to leave the paths on which we lost our way, and to follow the way of life, opening our hearts to the sole joy that never passes away.”
Leo XIV went on to mention the “promise” that Mary made to young Bernadette: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the next”. This promise “has a particular force in this land of France, and it challenges the way we think today”, tied to the quest for “progress and material wellbeing,” but “In the face of current trends that seek to redefine the value of human life in illness, suffering and old age”.
In fact, Mary noted that humanity’s vocation is “eternal life”, which “is a firm and certain promise that the Lord makes to us,” and which “is within our reach, but we must freely welcome it, take hold of it and not stand in its way.”
The obstacle is the “sin, whereby we turn in upon ourselves,” Le explained. “Our personal responsibility therefore comes into play, and a great responsibility it is. God has made us free, since freedom is necessary for love”.
At Lourdes no fragility is rejected
Leo referred to Mary’s call to convert, which she conveyed to Bernadette at Lourdes: “Penance is an act of love, carried out in solidarity with the human family. It is an act of love for God, because we want to make amends for the wounds our sins have dealt to his heart.”
The Church must be able to experience conversion “to heal the deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors that have occurred within her,” he said.
At the end of the homily, Leo turned to the many sick people present at the shrine, saying, “you are truly at the heart of the Church, and your role is irreplaceable.”
Addressing the pilgrims directly, he added: “you will not leave Lourdes as you arrived. You will leave as missionaries of hope. Indeed, the miracle of Lourdes is that it can awaken the joy of hope in the very midst of suffering and hardship.”
“[T]he grotto of Massabielle stands as a place of Christian hope. Here, no one is turned away due to their frailty. Your crutches, your wheelchairs and your hidden tears are not obstacles; instead, they are the very place where you are fully respected and welcomed, and where you can experience a transforming encounter with the infinite love of God.2
Indeed, “Lourdes is blessed as a place for professing the beauty and sanctity of life, for life is welcomed here as a precious gift from God”.
Recitation of the Angelus
At the end of the Mass, the pope recited the Angelus, which he described as “that simple and beautiful prayer which helps us each day to live in faithful obedience to God’s will, following the example of the Virgin Mary.”
Before that, he urged “all the faithful and all Christian communities to pray the holy rosary throughout the coming month of October, with the particular intention that wars may cease and that peace may be established among peoples in conflict. Let us accompany this prayer with concrete acts of penance and mercy, committing ourselves always to fostering dialogue and reconciliation.”
