She spoke Spanish. They spoke
French. She spoke Italian, and I spoke English. In training we were
told that, in the service of the baths, the language barrier between workers
was not really a barrier at all. “The Holy Spirit takes care of it,” our
advisors told us. Cool! I thought; we’re going to be able to
interpret tongues! Not quite…
Day 5: I had learned a
few words in German and had taken a few years of Spanish, but not even my
entire lifetime of English-speaking prepared me for the communication needed
for the job at hand. What I realized was that the language we were called
to speak in was not one of words, but one of actions. I began to pick up
the classic pointing-and-nodding method, along with the “universal language of
Lourdes”—a smile. Soon I realized how astronomically effective these
techniques were! The quote by St. Francis I had so often heard of yet
overlooked was actually coming to life: “Preach the Gospel at all times; when
necessary, use words.”
Day 6: Wednesday morning
was full of adventure. If getting the lights turned off on me in the
shower wasn’t adventuresome enough (still wondering why Europeans put the light
switch on the outside of the door…), than getting stuck in an elevator packed
aside one English-speaker and a dozen or so rowdy Frenchman definitely
was! Later on in the day I got to pray before holy relics, befriend
people from other countries, and meet St. Bernadette’s great-great nephew.
(What a striking resemblance!)
Day 7: I went inside
“the grotto” on Thursday—the same one Mary appeared to Bernadette in. It
was amazing to touch the inside of the mountain, the rock being extremely
smooth from the feeling of countless hands. I brought a candle in with me
and attempted to light it off the grotto’s beautiful candle arrangement in
honor of my siblings’ birthdays (shout out to Robby and Christina—HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!!!), but once again I got scolded at in French. (I was,
however, after exiting the grotto, able to light the candle and place it among
others.)
Day 8: Our last day at
Lourdes? Already? I said my three Hail Mary prayers at the
statue of the “Crowned Virgin”, a tradition that will supposedly bring me back
to Lourdes, and recited a few more in the hopes that family and friends might
join me in my return. (Who’s up for it?!) That evening, when the
group I was going to travel with discovered that we missed our train (by an
hour!), I got very excited—Maybe we can stay in Lourdes forever! I
thought. I had solidified friendships, had been inspired by faith, and
had learned the language of love. How could I ever leave? Alas, the
perfect train showed up and I was forced to recall the words of an Italian
woman I had met: “Take Lourdes with you in your heart.”
Day 9: We arrived back
in Paris, but since we weren’t due to depart for Gaming until the evening, I
went with a couple other people to visit the incorrupt body of St.
Bernadette. Some snacks and a three-hour train ride later, I found myself
gazing upon a spectacular miracle: the body of St. Bernadette, completely
intact. Although our stay was cut short by a closing for lunchtime, the
trip was completely worthwhile. Not only did I get to see Bernadette, but
I also like to say that I received a gift from her. Right next to my
things I was gathering on my way out, I noticed a medal of St. Padre Pio.
Only hours earlier had I resolved to concentrate my life on Padre Pio’s saying:
“Pray, and don’t worry.”
Day 10: That was something
I realized when looking back on the week—not once did I worry. Not
once. This is monumental for me, especially when there are so many things
to do and such a small amount of time to do them in. It felt wonderful to
be anxiety-free, a quality I prayed would continue to stay with me after my
leave. I also knew that I would want to keep close to me the new language
of love that I had learned… something so simple, yet so powerful.
On the way back I pondered these things, laughed with new friends, and got creamed in a game or two of Rummy—slowly changing into a new person all the while.
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