Whether as a drive-by or as your intentional destination, chances are that, if you have ever been to the University of Notre Dame, you have been captivated at one point or another by the glistening light of candles that cast their shadows upon the inside walls of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Or, perhaps your attention goes directly to the statue tucked discreetly inside a relatively small niche on the upper right side of the striking stone structure.
Bernadette Soubirous. After various visits to the shrine in his native France, Fr. Edward Sorin, C. Thanks to the generous gift of Rev. Visitors to the site also have the opportunity to lay their hands on a piece of stone brought directly from the original shrine in Lourdes located directly under the statue of Mary.
My mind turns to all those brothers and sisters who have come to this place searching for something, needing something.
To me, each candle represents not just a symbolic object commonly used for liturgical purposes, but a unique human being. Each and every one of those candles has been lit by a trusting and hopeful fellow student, parent, faculty or staff member, or visitor to campus who has trusted that our Holy Mother will intercede for them before her Son.
Reflecting further upon the imagery of light leads us to recall that each and every one of us carries a light within usβthe light of our Baptism, the light of Christ. We are all called to share this light with others, to ensure that it is always burning. As someone preparing for a career in lay ecclesial ministry, this theme of sharing the light resonates deeply within me.
