Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Achonry (Catholic Communications Office archive)
- Homily of Bishop Kevin Doran for the celebration of Mass with the Elphin Diocesan Pilgrimage at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, France
Homily: ‘The Heart Leads – The Feet Follow’
When the Hebrew slaves crossed the Red Sea into the desert of Sinai, they were walking for one reason only – to get away from the Egyptians. Gradually, as they made their way through the wilderness, God drew them to Himself and, through Moses, gave them His commandments as a sign of their relationship; what we call the Covenant. Gradually, they were formed into a Holy People and, as they came to know God in a new way, the meaning of their journey changed. It was no longer just about getting away, it was about walking with God. Today, in our first reading, Moses reminds them that there is a destination. There is a purpose to their pilgrimage. They are to live as God’s people in the land that He will give them.
Down through the centuries, pilgrimage has been an aspect of faith in many religious traditions. (Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Rome, Mecca, Santiago, Lourdes). Pilgrimage is always a symbol of walking with God.
In 1858, here in Lourdes, the beautiful young lady, who as yet had not introduced herself by name, asked Bernadette Soubirous, who was just a child, to visit the Parish Priest, Father Peyramale, and to give him a message. He was to build a chapel at the cave in Massabielle and he was to tell the priests to come there in procession. Father Peyramale could have sent her away, but instead, he told her to ask the lady what her name was. Mary’s answer was: “I am the Immaculate Conception”, and that answer convinced the priest, because he knew that a young child could not have heard that anywhere around Lourdes.
Walking in procession is central to the spirituality of Lourdes. We have:
- the torchlight procession (when we pray the Rosary and reflect on the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus)
- the Way of the Cross (when we reflect on the Passion and death of Jesus)
- the Eucharistic Procession (when we prolong, in a contemplative way, the Communion with Christ which begins in the Mass)
Mary is at the heart of Lourdes, but all the key moments in the pilgrimage, and especially the processions, point to Christ. He is central to Mary’s message.
Personally, I like a good brisk walk. To be honest, I would never choose a procession as a way of taking exercise. But walking in procession is a public expression of discipleship and of being, together, the body of Christ. The movement of feet is the outward sign, but the procession is really about the movement of the heart. That is the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel, when he says: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. External rituals only make sense when our hearts are converted to following Christ. The heart leads; only then does it make sense for the feet to follow. (Some of our pilgrims are unable to walk; some cannot even be here, but every one of us can have the heart of a pilgrim; a heart that like Mary, follows Jesus.
I want to go back for a moment to Mary’s invitation that the priests should come in procession to the Grotto in Lourdes. Why did Mary want the priests, in particular, to come? I suspect that there may be a few related reasons. Mary presumably expected that, if the priests came in procession, their parishioners would also come. Priests are called, after all, to share in the mission of Jesus the Good Shepherd. We are meant to give leadership, not least through the witness of our own faith.
It is also worth remembering that, at the time of the apparitions in Lourdes, the political climate in France was quite negative towards priests. Mary’s request was, among other things, a way of encouraging priests to step out in faith. Her invitation is no less important for priests today. There are times when it may seem that what we stand for is no longer valued or appreciated. Some of us, after a life-time of ministry, may feel that we walk alone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here in Lourdes we have an opportunity, in a rather unique way, to walk with our parishioners, men and women, young and old, assisted pilgrims and volunteers. Our presence here renews our sense of walking together with God.
I want to share one final thought with you. Next month, Pope Francis will re-convene the universal synod. The word “synod” literally means “walking together”, and it is not very far removed from the idea of “procession.” Over the past few years Pope Francis has asked us to explore how, in the community of the Church, we can walk together more respectfully, more inclusively, and more effectively as witnesses to Jesus. Praying together, as we do here in Lourdes and as we do in our parishes at home, is an essential part of that Christian witness.
Being a synodal Church, however, is not limited to what happens in the Church building. It is about how we share responsibility for continuing the mission of Jesus in the world. Our prayer sends us out together to build community, to serve one another with generosity and integrity in our professional lives. As Saint James says (second reading), we are not just called to be hearers of the Word, we are called to live it in our daily lives. We are called to do that in a world where there are many opinions, but only one source of Truth. Walking together in faith involves recognising the gifts of others as well as our own. That may be easier to see, and easier to do here in Lourdes, where we come in procession. But our call to be a synodal Church is a life-long vocation. The challenge is for us to continue walking together when we get home.
ENDS
