Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and the Shrines of Spain - Part six

Day 8 -Thursday, September 14, 2023

sic deus dilexit Mundum

Pat took this photo today at the Sanctuary of Loyola 

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Triumph of the Cross

Burgos - San Ignacio de Loyola  - Lourdes, France

We travel through the Basque Region toward Lourdes. 

En Route, pause to reflect at the 17th Century Sanctuary of Loyola 

built in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Founder of the Jesuits 

( Society of Jesus ) 

Cross into France and stay overnight in Lourdes

From Pat a while ago 

" We are now in Lourdes. Two long days of traveling but here we are for two days. Thank you, God.

We had a private Mass today in the chapel at the St Ignatius Basilica. 

Fr John gave us a homily that (praise Jesus) was a bit shorter than the one last night from the Spanish priest at the Basilica. I wish I understood Spanish, as the priest was quite animated and passionate. What was he telling us?

Tonight we will participate in the candlelight procession. Tomorrow a guided tour of the shrine. 

The weather has been perfect, cool in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. " Pat

View from our room window and the crucifix above our door

Rosary and Candlelight Procession

2 nights at the Mercure Lourdes Imperial

The live videocam at Lourdes

https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/

I watched the procession and etc and took a few screen shots 

( I know I'm obsessive )

Renew the World, and quotes from Thomas Merton

During a homily the other day one of our priests quoted Thomas Merton. I think it was the first one

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your Will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing... - Thomas Merton

"You will probably, if you continue as you do, begin the laborious job of changing the national mind and opening up the national conscience. How far will you get? God alone knows. All that you and I can ever hope for in terms of visible results is that we will have perhaps contributed something to a clarification of Christian truth in this society, and as a result, a few people may have got it straight about some things and opened up to the grace of God and made some sense out of their lives, helping a few more to do the same." Thomas Merton

" All the good that you will do will come not from you but from the fact that you have allowed yourself, in the obedience of faith, to be used by God's love. ...The real hope, then, is not in something we think we can do, but in God who is making something good out of it in some way, we cannot see. If we can do His will, we will be helping in this process. But we will not necessarily know all about it beforehand." Thomas Merton