Icon of Hope: Labour

Reflection from Erin Ryan:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
~ Emily Dickenson
The American poet, Emily Dickinson, described Hope beautifully in this famous little poem of hers.

I’ve only ever been on one pilgrimage – well, I suppose it was more of a 2-for-1 pilgrimage. The main purpose was to visit the birthplace of St Eugene de Mazenod in Aix-en-Provence in France, see where he founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and visit the places that were key in his ministry in Marseilles and the surrounding area. 
On the weekend, our group took the train west to the base of the Pyrenees, where we spent a couple of days at Lourdes, one of the most world-famous pilgrimage destinations for Catholics. In the large open courtyard between the cathedral and the grotto where Bernadette saw the vision of Mary, I saw a beautiful living icon of hope. I passed by an English couple with their child, a boy about 10, who was strapped into a wheelchair so that he would not tumble out and hurt himself.  They all looked exhausted. The child seemed unable to speak or walk, the father was quietly looking at brochures his wife passed to him, and the mother was talking to them both excitedly, but also quietly, eyes sparkling no doubt with the joy she was anticipating after what was likely a difficult journey to arrive at this place of great hope. 

I wondered if, in addition to a miraculous healing of their child, the father was also hoping that his wife would not suffer if things did not turn as she wanted.  When I had passed them I was the one in tears, praying that their prayers would be heard and God would give them the courage and strength they would need to care for each other and their child; wondering how many others at that beautiful peaceful place were also filled with hope that was carrying them through their despair, fear and sadness.  Just as dusk turned to evening, our group, with many hundreds of others, walked around the courtyard, all carrying our flickering long, thin, white and blue candles, singing Ave Maria as the Rosary was said in five languages.  We were strangers and pilgrims from all over the world, walking beside the small river, praying our petitions and supplications, offering our praise and thanksgiving to our Creator God, giver of endless love, endless mercy, and endless hope. 

When I think of Lourdes I think of the triangle of Faith, Hope, and Love and how essential each side is to strengthening the whole.  In this Jubilee year, all of the people in our universal Church are praying for Hope for our world, for all of God’s Creation – not just the people. I look back now at those hundreds of pilgrims walking, praying and singing together at Lourdes on an April evening in 2016 as a precursor to the many millions of us who join in prayer to restore hope and trust this year.