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The Story of Lourdes
Bernadette visited the cave day after day, but still no one believed her.
One day the beautiful lady told Bernadette to drink water from a spring but there was no spring to be seen. When Bernadette told her, the lady just smiled and pointed to a spot on the ground. Bernadette began to scrabble about in the earth. People watching began to make fun of her.
"She thinks she's a dog now," they said cruelly.
But soon, water bubbled up and before long a little spring was flowing. The water was clear and lovely to drink.
After this, people began to believe Bernadette.
Bernadette had been very surprised to find the spring of water which the beautiful lady had shown her. After that day, many people felt that the water was special and they came to drink it. One mother, whose little boy had poorly eyes, brought her child to the cave and put the water on his eyes. He was healed. Nowadays, over two million Christians visit Lourdes every year.
People who are ill go to be healed; people who are weak go to be made strong; those who are afraid ask to be made brave. Some people who go to Lourdes find what they were looking for. Others return home unchanged.
Not far from the cave, three churches have been built and there is room for thousands of people to say their prayers. Hanging from the ceilings in these churches are many wheelchairs and sets of crutches, left behind by people who have been healed by the spring which the lady showed to Bernadette.
