Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful.
I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations… A thousand prayers do not equal one act of abandonment; don’t ever forget it. There is no better novena than this:
O Jesus, I abandon myself to you. Jesus, you take over.
I’d like to share the hymn – “Ave Maria de Lourdes” in French. As seen on a short clip I recorded below.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!O Vierge Marie, le peuple Chrétien,
à Lourdes vous prie, chez vous il renvient.Le fond de la roche s’éclaire à l’instant:
la dame s’approche, fait signe à l’enfant.“Venez, je vous prie, ici, quinze fois,
avec vos amies entendre ma voix.”Avec insistance la dame,
trois fois, a dit: “pénitence”
Chrétien, c’est pour toi!“A cette fontaine venez et buvez;
dans l’eau pure et sainte
allez vous laver.”“Je veux qu’ici même,
au pied de ces monts,
le peuple que j’aime
vienne en procession.”
Our Lady of Fatima is a title of Our Lady. Year 1917, Mama Mary appeared to 3 shepherd children of Fatima, Portugal. Today, this sanctuary is visited by 4 million devotees every year and the feast of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on May 13th. And in preparation for this special day, here’s the 9 day novena that you can recite starting today (May 5) till May 13 the actual feast day.
Most Holy Virgin,
who deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds
the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the rosary,
inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion,
so that by meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it,
we may gather the fruits and obtain the conversion of sinners,
and this favor which I earnestly seek,
(mention your request)
which I ask of thee in this novena, for the greater glory of God,
for thine own honor, and for the good of all people.
Amen.
pray 3 sets of Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be
You’ll see this cross as you enter the sanctuary. It’s considered to be the holiest site in Lourdes, France.
Before, we thought of owning an apartment here. Though one helpful and local tour guide told us not to, because of taxes and high maintenance fees.
Lourdes has become a favorite place of mine, last year we stayed for 4 days and I went to the chapel daily. Prayed and drank in the sacred spring that welled up for the first time during the apparition of Mama Mary to St. Bernadette. The water was cold but it didn’t feel uncomfortably cold and chilly. Going back to the church, it was designed by Myroslav Nimciv, while its Byzantine interior polychrome decorations were executed by artist Jerzy Nowosielski. A beautiful statue of Mama Mary is standing right in the middle & facing the main basilica.
Her blue sash seemed to be swaying gracefully with the wind. And an intricate crown of gold-embroidered her head and perpetual face. The sanctuary is about 50 hectares with 22 places of worships, includes the sacred grotto, two main basilicas (photo of entrance seen below), and an assortment of chapels for the sick and pilgrim goers like me.
Roman Catholic faith is flourishing in Lourdes, I remember hearing Holy Masses in different languages like English, Spanish and Italian. One morning when I went alone to pray, I was mistaken to be an Italian and asked me to take photos of her group with the church as their background. Delighted and out of courtesy, I agreed and then went on to pray in the grotto.
The rest of the places in Lourdes will be featured on my next posts, and hopefully I’ll have time to post more pictures as well. Much said about this quaint town, I heard it is second to Paris in terms of tourism and number of hotels. Most of my happy memories were also from this place, I was solely raised by my grandmother with strict values and traditions and visiting Lourdes is very sacred to me. I’m planning to bring her here someday, if she is able to travel, God willing.
Year 2011 when I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and ovarian cysts, a condition that made it crucial for me to conceive again. I had Laparoscopic procedures both for diagnosis and removal, but endometriosis in my uterus remain intact upto this day, this is one of the many difficult struggles we have to face. But it has made my faith deeper, so when we went to visit Lourdes last May I was more emotional than our previous pilgrims. I looked at the other hopefuls, some were more ill than I am, and in their stretchers and/or wheelchairs. I know we’re all present to experience the miracle, that one day we will be healed with our faith.
Tearful yet happy, the joy this place brings, never fails to remind me of God’s wonderful grace and love.
❤
I have been to Europe a couple of times. Mainly as pilgrims particularly to this holy place in Lourdes, France. It is a small town in Pyrenees in southwest France. And the biggest pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular sanctuaries in the world. Pilgrims come here and drink or bath in the miraculous water that sprung during the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette. Photo above shows the grotto and the exact location where Mama Mary was seen by the young visionary St. Bernadette. The last time I visited which was just last year, I was able to bathed in the healing waters, priorities are given to the sick and elderly. Courteous and helpful nuns are there to assist you. 
I wish i have more photos to show but at that moment I was filled with joy. Besides, cameras are not allowed inside the cubicles. Everything is very organized, surpisingly the line wasn’t long. Then I entered one of the cubicles while draped in blankets provided by the assisting nuns. I wept as I was overwhelmed with gladness, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. And Mama Mary’s sacred image was there in the foot of the pool and kissed her after plunging in the water. I knew right then I was healed instantly… 
mypanoplies 