Brothers reciting the Rosary in Lourdes

Lourdes is a small town located in the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France. It is known worldwide for its Marian shrine, where millions of pilgrims come every year to seek spiritual renewal and healing. Among the pilgrims, there is a group of brothers from different parts of the world who gather every evening to the Rosary in the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The brothers belong to the Congregation of the Brothers of Saint John, a religious community founded in France in 1975. They follow the Rule of Saint Augustine and dedicate their lives to prayer, contemplation, and works of mercy. They have houses in Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, and they share a strong spirit of fraternity and mission.

Every year, a group of brothers from different houses meets in Lourdes for a week of spiritual retreat and pilgrimage. They come from Spain, Italy, Poland, Cameroon, the Philippines, and other countries, and they bring with them their cultural and linguistic diversity. Yet, they share a common language of faith and love for Our Lady, who unites them in a bond of spiritual motherhood.

One of the highlights of their pilgrimage is the daily recitation of the Rosary in the grotto. They gather at six o’clock in the evening, when the crowds of pilgrims have left, and they kneel at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. They light candles, sing hymns, and pray together, alternating the decades of the Rosary in their different languages.

For those who witness this scene, it is a beautiful sight of unity in diversity, of faith in action, of prayer. The brothers radiate a sense of peace and joy that reflects their inner contemplation and union with God. They have a particular devotion to the Mysteries of Light, introduced by Pope John Paul II, which highlight the public life of Jesus and call for a deeper commitment to the spread of the Gospel in the world.

But the brothers’ Rosary is not only an expression of their personal piety and communion with each other and with Mary. It is also a testimony of hope for a world that needs more than ever the power of prayer and the message of salvation. The brothers pray for the Church, for the Pope, for priests and religious, for families, for the sick, for the poor, for peace, for the conversion of sinners, and for the unity of all Christians.

Their prayer is not a passive escape from reality but an active engagement with it. They see themselves as soldiers of Christ, who fight against the spiritual forces of evil and sin. They believe that the Rosary is a weapon of spiritual warfare, which can defeat the enemies of the soul and lead souls to Christ. They encourage pilgrims to join them in the Rosary, and they offer spiritual guidance and counseling to those who seek it.

The brothers’ Rosary is also a tribute to Saint John Paul II, who had a special love for Our Lady of Lourdes and who promoted the Rosary as a means of family evangelization and world peace. The brothers, who have the motto “Totus Tuus” (All Yours), which is also the Pope’s Marian motto, feel a special bond with him and continue his legacy of Marian devotion and apostolic zeal.

In conclusion, the brothers’ recitation of the Rosary in Lourdes is a powerful witness to the beauty and effectiveness of family prayer, of fraternity in Christ, and of evangelization through Mary. It reminds us that we are God’s children, brothers and sisters to each other, and called to be witnesses of faith and love in the world. It invites us to join them in the Rosary and to entrust our lives and the world to the care of Our Lady of Lourdes. As Saint John Paul II once said, “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ” and to Mary, who can lead us to him.