“...Lourdes...”
To understand Lourdes one must read the book by Alexis Carrel “The Voyage to Lourdes” (published 1939) an atheist French doctor who won a Nobel Prize, who was converted on the basis of a Lourdes miracle.
Also a must read is “Saint Bernadette Soubirous”, by Abbe Francois Trochu who gives an account of what actually happened to Bernadette (whose body is incorrupt, by the way).
Also, a complete understanding of Lourdes is not possible until one understands how the spring came about and actually experiences the baths. Actually a complete understanding of Lourdes will never be possible, but this is a start.
I highly recommend both books!!! The book by the doctor I read before we went and it allows a deeper context for the domain, etc.
That really isn't true. In fact:
Bishop Gauthey of Nevers and the Church exhumed the body of Bernadette Soubirous on 22 September 1909, in the presence of representatives appointed by the postulators of the cause, two doctors and a sister of the community. They claimed that although the crucifix in her hand and her rosary had both oxidized, her body appeared incorrupt preserved from decomposition. This was cited as one of the miracles to support her canonization. They washed and reclothed her body before burial in a new double casket. The Church exhumed the corpse a second time on 3 April 1919. A doctor who examined the body noted, "The body is practically mummified, covered with patches of mildew and quite a notable layer of salts, which appear to be calcium salts. ... The skin has disappeared in some places, but it is still present on most parts of the body."[17]
In 1925, the church exhumed the body for a third time. They took relics, which were sent to Rome. A precise imprint of the face was molded so that the firm of Pierre Imans in Paris could make a wax mask based on the imprints and on some genuine photos to be placed on her body. This was common practice for relics in France as it was feared that the blackish tinge to the face and the sunken eyes and nose would make an unpleasant impression on the public. Imprints of the hands were also taken for the presentation of the body and the making of wax casts. The remains were then placed in a gold and crystal reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the mother house in Nevers. The site is visited by many pilgrims and the body of Saint Bernadette is still shown despite being nearly 130 years old. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous)
I have a few questions for you. If Bernadette's body is "incorrupt", what will happen to it at the resurrection? Will she still take on that incorrupt body or will she be given a REAL glorified and genuinely incorrupt one? Also, she died at a young age (35) from a long-term illness (tuberculosis) that, apparently, even these miraculous waters had no power to heal. And, of the millions of people that pilgrimage to this site, only 67 "cures" have been verified by the Catholic Church. I'm afraid that, just as these Muslims mentioned in the OP come expecting a "spiritual" experience, Christians who depend upon Mary, rather than Almighty God for healing are usually disappointed.
I'm not saying this to insult anyone but rather to speak to what may really be going on here and at other places. If souls are not touched to follow and believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, it is nothing more than a sideline distraction meant to keep hearts blinded to the truth of Jesus.