The Mass of Welcome took place on the first day of the pilgrimage at Sacre Coeur, the parish church of Lourdes, where Bernadette first began her journey of faith. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Westminster pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Mass began with a banner procession, led by the Redcap volunteers, representing different groups and schools from across the Diocese
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Bishop John Sherrington, the principal celebrant, opened the Mass by giving thanks to God for this jubilee year: 'We gather in thanksgiving at the opening Mass of our diocesan pilgrimage and thank God that we have each been able to come to Lourdes to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Westminster pilgrimage and to respond to the invitation of Our Lady to Bernadette to drink of the water of the spring, to come in prayer and procession, and to do penance so that we might know the joy of conversion by opening our hearts to God’s grace.'
During his homily, Bishop John spoke of Bernadette's experience of responding to Our Lady's wish in the ninth apparition: 'During the ninth apparition on the 25th February 1858, Our Lady told Bernadette to go and drink at the fountain and wash herself. Seeing no fountain, Bernadette moved towards the River Gave which flowed much closer to the rocks at that stage, but the ‘lady’ then pointed the way towards the bottom of a rock. Bernadette scratched in the muddy soil and the clean water of a spring appeared. Bernadette drank of this water and washed her face. In response to this invitation of Our Lady, we come to Lourdes to drink of the water and to wash in the fountain. Just as the ‘lady’ pointed Bernadette towards the spring, so she points us towards the waters here in Lourdes.'
Reflecting on his own personal experience, Bishop John said, 'My first pilgrimage to Lourdes was made in 1980 as a member of an ACROSS group with the Jumbulance. I recall the view of the basilica after the 24 hour journey and the joy of arrival, the hard work of pushing wheelchairs up ‘Cardiac Hill’ to Chalet Across, the fun and the deepening of faith but also the confirming of a stirring in my heart that I might be called to be a priest. I return full of gratitude and recognise God’s faithfulness in spite of my rather slow journey of conversion. I invite you, especially those of you who are here for the first time, to follow in the footsteps of St. Bernadette and to open your heart so that God may speak into it through the events and people of this week.'
Bishop John continued, 'On pilgrimage, we thirst for Christ to touch us with his healing love. The prophet Isaiah looks forward to the coming of Christ and invites us to place our trust in the One who quenches our thirst, “O come to the water all you who are thirsty… come in your poverty and weakness and place your trust in me, I will give you rich things to enjoy…. Pay attention, come to me, and you will live.”
'Our Lady pointed Bernadette towards the spring but also towards Jesus who gives us the water of life. Jesus says, ‘If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink’ (Jn 7:37); water which ‘will become… a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ (Jn 4:14). In Lourdes, Our Lady too points us towards Him who is the one who can quench our thirst and satisfy the longing and restlessness deep within our hearts. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, we pray ‘Lord, give me this water that I may not thirst’ (Jn 4:15)
'St. Bernadette came to gather firewood down near the river in her poverty and need, sick and weak in health for a child of her age; a child who carried a daily cross. In the ordinariness of this day, she was chosen by God to reveal to us the mystery of his love in the midst of sickness; love which chooses those the world considers weak to reveal that they are those most precious to Him. God’s favourites are those who are sick, poor and vulnerable; they have a special place in his heart. Under the mantle of Mary’s protection, they are closest to her. In sickness, poverty and need, we come to the water and ask him to raise us up and to help our gaze to look towards his kingdom which gives us hope.
'The miracle of the wedding feast of Cana shows us the mystery of the abundance of God’s gifts. God is bountiful in mercy and lavishes his love upon us. He takes what is limited and ordinary and transforms it abundantly. Water is changed to wine so that the wedding feast continues in joy. The many bars and cafes that have grown up here remind us how lives are also changed in Lourdes over beers, wine, and ice-cream! In the Mass bread is changed into the Body of Christ, wine into his Blood. They become the gifts which he gives to us so that we can grow in holiness. To quench the thirst of our hearts, he feeds us with the Body of Christ and gives us is blood so that we might have true life.
'By the power of the Holy Spirit, we who gather as the Body of Christ are also changed more deeply in our relationship with Christ and with each other. We become more fully his Body with Christ as our Head and are invited to be more generous in love and service to one another. This the life that we live and breathe here is Lourdes. St. Bernadette shows us how the child is transformed into the saint who lives the cross deeply in her life. The wedding feast helps us look towards the heavenly banquet in the communion of saints.
'In this year of Silver Jubilee, the theme of our pilgrimage is the joy of conversion. We rejoice in the way in which God’s abundant grace touches us that we become more generous lovers and servants of one another. We are invited to recognise our hardness of heart but with God’s mercy choose not to be limited but go beyond it love and service.
'Let us listen to the thirst in our heart and allow God to speak to us in this holy place and stir us again to love and be loved!'
Just before the final blessing, Bishop John once again encouraged the pilgrims to listen intently to God's voice and to be open to his promptings wherever they may lead.
