Drawn by faith or curiosity, people from all parts of the world go on pilgrimage to Lourdes, the most visited Marian shrine in Europe. When all is said and done, many pilgrims will measure their experience not by how far they travel but by how close they come to God. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, urged Catholics in a Holy Thursday homily to remember their purpose in life: “We are only guests on earth; we are pilgrims in the profoundest sense, that the earth is not ultimate, and we are on our way to the new world.” Tucking this insight in with the luggage might help men, women and children embarking for Lourdes to view their pilgrimage within this larger frame.
— from Lourdes Today: A Pilgrimage to Mary’s Grotto
