Lourdes, Avila and Burgos

Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most well-known Marian apparitions in the world and is one of the most highly visited Catholic pilgrimage sites.  In 1858, 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous saw Our Lady for the first time after venturing out to collect driftwood for her family.  Our Lady motioned for Bernadette to pray the rosary and after its conclusion she disappeared.  The third time Our Lady appeared to Bernadette she asked her if she would return for 15 consecutive days.  Bernadette agreed.  During one of the appartitions Our Lady instructed Bernadette to drink of the spring water, wash herself and eat the nearby herbs.  Bernadette started towards the nearby creek but Our Lady told her that was not correct but to go 'over there'.  Bernadette went where Our Lady instructed and dug at the ground to uncover the spring.  Many miracles have occurred through these 'healing waters' of which no impurities have been found.  Of course, another important aspect of the Lourdes apparitions is that when Bernadette asked Our Lady who she was she replied "I am the Immaculate Conception".  The Immaculate Conception is the dogma that Mary was preserved free from the stain of original sin and was free from all personal sin her whole life by a singular grace of God. Bernadette later became a Sister of Charity. She is incorrupt and can be venerated at the convent in Nevers.  Read more about Bernadette and the apparitions here, here and here.

Crossing the border into Spain:
Avila's big claim to fame is, of course, St. Teresa of Avila.  St. Teresa is one of three women doctors of the Church along with St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Catherine of Siena.  St. Teresa reformed the Carmelite order and was a great mystic.  She had a strong devotion to St. Joseph and encouraged people to call on his assistance.  One of her greatest writings, Interior Castle, continues to be a source of spiritual nourishment.  Here is an excerpt: 

In a word, my sisters, I will end by saying that we must not build towers without foundations, and that the Lord  does not look so much at the magnitude of anything we do as at the love with which we do it.  If we accomplish what we can, His Majesty will see to it that we become able to do more each day.  We must not begin by growing weary; but during the whole of this short life, which for any one of you may be shorter than you think, we must offer the Lord whatever interior and exterior sacrifice we are able to give Him, and His Majesty will unite it with that which He offered to the Father for us upon the Cross, so that it may have the value won for it by our will, even though our actions in themselves may be trivial.

Read more about St. Teresa of Avila here.

Burgos, Spain:  The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, well-known for their beautiful Gregorian chant, are fairly near here.  You can learn about this order here.   Listen to their chant in the following: