Let there be Light .. a Lourdes story

As international travel remains disrupted by the pandemic; most of my communication with family between England and the Philippines is through skype these days where we share stories ‘over the ether’.

My Dad shared a real gem the other day from a pilgrimage to Lourdes in the 1950’s. It began in the foothills of the Pyrenees on horseback where most of the pilgrim group (a.k.a ‘the faint hearted’) used the bridge to cross the river, Dad’s trusty steed (a distant relative of Pegasus himself) showed him the shortcut and horse and rider plunged into the icy melt waters. Historically this began a now long and consistent family tradition of death-defying equestrian misadventure. But the real drama of the trip was yet to unfold in village of Lourdes below. 

In the evening as they prayed the Rosary together at their hotel, two young Irish girls burst into the room both weeping uncontrollably. They had come as volunteers to help the sick and disabled in Lourdes and their charge was a young boy who had been born blind. When they had checked in on him to get him ready for bed they noticed he was very quiet and just sat on the edge of the bed waiting for them. They asked him what was wrong and he responded “I was waiting to hear your voices so I would know what you both looked like” 

Earlier that day he had attended a procession where the Priest had moved amongst the sick with the Monstrance blessing each person. When he came to the boy he blessed him saying “let there be light” and as he did so the boy received his sight. And the first thing he saw was his Lord, Saviour and healer.

I imagine that miracle has been brand new every morning he opened his eyes for the last 60+ years; what a wonderful miracle and gift.

Sister Marie Marguerite’s cure … a story from Lourdes

A Poor Clare in the Monastery of Rennes since 1896 Cured on 22nd. January 1937, in her 65th. year. Miracle on 20th. May 1946, by Cardinal Clement Roques, Archbishop of Rennes.

One of those rare cures connected with Lourdes yet happening far away from the Shrine. In actual fact, the illness of Sr. MARIE MARGUERITE began in 1924 with a renal disease. In the subsequent years she suffered "cardiac crises" anginal in type, as well as steady deterioration of kidney disease. Complications cropped up in 1936: --generalised phlyctenular oedema of both lower limbs. --more and more frequent cardiac crises, with dyspnoea, and --facial neuralgia.

These entirely prevented her from leading a normal life, showed no improvement, and even death was feared at the beginning of 1937. The Community at her Convent started a novena to Our Lady of Lourdes during which Sister joined in by replacing all her medication with Lourdes' Water.

On the last day of the Novena, 22nd January, Sister suddenly sensed a great relief during Holy Mass, at the moment of the Elevation of the Host. The oedema vanished in an instant; the bandages, now too large for her legs, fell down, she could wear shoes and walk!

Starting next morning, she took up her former job of attending to the turn-table at the Convent until the end of the 1939-1945 war... something she had not done for eight years. This cure was verified, not without immense surprise, by her doctor, who continued to visit her up to 1945.

At the request of the Archbishop, Cardinal Roques: --a commission of three doctors met in November 1945, and confirmed that the cure could not be explained by natural causes; --a Canonical Commission, in its turn, studied it at the beginning of 1946, and submitted a favourable verdict to the Bishop.

This was sufficient for Cardinal Roques to declare on 20.5.1946, that "this cure was miraculous" and "that it must be attributed to a special intervention of God through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes".