Today is the 9th day. This was the only period we had a bit of free time on our Marian Pilgrimage. We started the day with an early mass in the hotel's chapel. It was a slow resting period for tired bodies but rich in quiet reflection and meditation.
We headed back after breakfast to the shrine and along the way we boarded the Lourdes "Le Petit Train" and explored Lourdes in a 7.5 kms of train ride in 40 minutes. We had the chance to have a glimpse of the town square, market,the upper town and all its monuments. During the ride, selected stops allowed us to be at town museums and historical sites of Lourdes.
After the train ride, we walked towards the shrine, the crowd of pilgrims have dwindled around 12 noon and line-up to the grotto was a breeze. We had another round of passage by the lady of Lourdes and dropped the next batch of pahabol petitions we copied in a letter envelope- petitions from family and friends sent by email and Facebook messages. A very quiet time comfortably seated on the chairs facing the grotto...prayed again and said the rosary quietly.
We had a late lunch at the nearby cafe with Rose and Prim and went back to the hotel after. The afternoon was a much needed time to rest and rejuvenate. We were just so tired that I slept for 3 hours straight. It was a rest day but a day of reflection and contemplation. The shrine is so tranquil and just a perfect place to pray and converse with the Lady of Lourdes. We know that She has heard all our petitions including those from family and friends.
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