It was so good to be back at Littlemore Farm today. After getting home yesterday, Shaggycoat ran straight down the path toward the creek and his lodge, as if he had been gone a whole year instead of just a little while. So after Holy Mass this morning, the Reading Club decided to join Shaggycoat at creekside for the meetup.
Father LeRoy had picked up Krispy Kremes and a half gallon of cold milk, which made everything feel like a feast. We sat near the creek with our books open, the water moving quietly below the bluff, and the cave cool behind us.
When everyone was settled, Father nodded to me, and I read my chapter summary.
I told the club that this was a very sad day at Lourdes. The Prefect had ordered the Grotto to be stripped of the candles, statues, flowers, and little gifts people had placed there for Our Lady. M. Jacomet tried to get horses and a cart, but nearly everyone refused to help him. They did not want any part in what felt like disrespect toward the Blessed Virgin.
At last he found someone who would lend him a cart, and a great crowd followed him to Massabielle. The people were angry and sorrowful, but the priests had warned them to remain peaceful. They told them that if Our Lady wished, she could turn everything to her own glory without anyone needing to fight.
When the police removed the offerings and even broke the railing with an axe, the crowd nearly lost control. But some voices called out for calm, and no violence happened. That evening, the people returned to the Grotto with flowers and candles in their own hands, so the police could not seize them again.
When I finished, Father said that was a beautiful kind of protest—quiet, faithful, and full of trust. Sister Mary Claire said the people of Lourdes showed that love for Our Lady can be strong without becoming bitter. Robert said even the poorest people refused the money because their consciences were worth more than thirty francs.
I looked at the creek while he said that, and I thought how hard it must have been to watch holy things taken away and still not fight back. Maybe faith is sometimes strongest when it keeps its hands folded and lets God act.
After the meeting, we finished the last doughnuts, and Mini lay in the grass with milk on her whiskers. Shaggycoat stayed near the creek, looking very pleased to be home.
Evening Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for bringing us back to Littlemore Farm and for the quiet beauty of the creek and cave. Help me to love holy things, to trust Our Lady, and to stay peaceful even when something feels unfair. Bless Father LeRoy, Sister Mary Claire, Robert, Mini, Shaggycoat, and all our Reading Club.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Amen.
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