February 11  Our Lady of Lourdes

I’ll never forget Christopher. He was a young lad with physical and learning difficulties and was part of our group on my first visit to Lourdes back in 1979. I was just one year ordained, wet behind the priestly ears you might say. There was a HCPT Group in the parish to which I was appointed, St Therese in Port Talbot. As curate I was automatically the chaplain to the group. Each HCPT group has about 10 young people, 10 helpers, a nurse and a priest. I was anxious to help as much as I could and to do the full priesty bit.
But I hadn’t reckoned on one of the children in our group, Christopher, attaching himself to me and in doing that, to teach me so much. I wasn’t ready for his acceptance of his circumstances, the trust he put in me, the laughs we would have together, the simple Christian love he would draw out of me.
I learned a huge amount that week about ministry. Many people, helpers especially, have gone to Lourdes, like I did, ready to give – give of our time, our care, our work – and it is, indeed, hard work. What I didn’t expect was that I would be the one to receive more than I gave. In seminary we tended to get the impression that it would be all about what we could do for others. In fact it is about what we all can do for each other, no matter our age, health or position in life. We Christians are to be a family, a network of love in action.
This is really one of the miracles of places like Lourdes. There, through the gentle presence of Our Lady, we are given a glimpse of how it should be. A good convert of mine had been struggling with RCIA and the whole business of becoming Catholic. It was visiting Lourdes that did the trick. He said “If this is how Catholics want to be, that’s how I want to be too”.
I only stayed in Port Talbot for nine months. I never saw Christopher again after I left. But in those early years of priesthood his laughter, his hugs and a few tears too, made as much impression as anything I experienced.

Fr Matthew