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Digital Pilgrimage Day 2 – Join the Lourdes Pilgrimage in Prayer

Sunday 15th September

‘Blessed are the Poor; the Kingdom of God is theirs’

Through these Prayers and Reflections, we join our prayers and intentions with those of our Pilgrims in Lourdes. As we accompany them and pray for them, we are assured that they are praying for us.

15th September 2019

Today in Lourdes, both the General and Assisted Pilgrims will have the opportunity to walk and pray the Way or Stations of the Cross.

Often we talk about ‘doing’ the Stations of the Cross. This is to miss the deeply sacred nature of this ancient way of prayer. We walk the Way of the Cross as a faithful response to this invitation from Jesus; ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.’ (Mark. 8.34).

This invitation from Jesus implies that we follow him as we are, not how we would like to be. We follow Jesus as his disciples with all our hopes, joys, faith and courage. We all follow Jesus with our fears, weaknesses, pain and poverty. Jesus accepts us as we are. As we walk and pray the Way of the Cross, we experience Jesus in all his humanity. We see Jesus being betrayed, condemned, beaten and crucified. Whatever pain and suffering we are experiencing, Jesus has felt them before us. Walking the Way of the Cross asks us not to suffer alone; Jesus walks with us as we walk with him. He supports and encourages us on our journey as we accompany him on his.

Lourdes is the place where those who are sick are rightly called ‘The Guests’.  In a particular way, they show us visibly what it is to suffer, but also how  accept our pain with faith, humility  and courage. In a  special way the Stations of the Cross is their prayer as they join their sufferings with those of Jesus.

A Prayer Suggestion:Perhaps today in your own personal prayer you could slowly read and pray the Stations of the Cross and remember all our Pilgrims in Lourdes, especially those who are sick in any way.   

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