it's still may

While visiting Notre Dame in Paris this week, I was reminded that May is the Virgin Mary’s month. Along the side chapels, like many churches, paintings are displayed depending on the chapels’ themes. However, Notre Dame’s are special. A sign titled “The ‘Mays’ of Notre Dame” explained: “[f]rom 1449, the goldsmiths of Paris would offer to Mary a green tree as a gift for the 1^st of May, the month devoted to her. Then later on, works of poetry in [a] chest of gold. Even later, painting[s] by famous painters.”

In a side chapel of Notre Dame, Laurent de La Hyre's painting The Conversion of St. Paul, hangs. It is a 'May of Nortre Dame,' from in 1637.

Dang! My good friend Marisa had given me a heads up on Mary's month while I was still in Roma, but everything got so chaotic that it kept slipping my mind. I had BIG plans to use May to do BIG things spiritually and increase devotion to Mary; what happened? With only a few days left in the month, I had precious little time to make this month special for my Heavenly Mother.

I started by reading. The May Magnificant had wonderful things to say. The editorial by Peter John Cameron illuminated the concept of Mary as soil. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he says “[t]o be soil for the Word means that the soil must allow itself to be absorbed by the seed. Mary’s maternity means that she willingly places her own substance, body and soul, into the seed so that new life can grow.” Later, Cameron writes, “[t]he key, then, is simply to do what the seed does: to stay close to Mary the soil… The Word of God who once brought forth Something New in the womb of Mary will be able to take root in us. Through our devout union with Mary, the Word of God will fuse with our personal humanity.”

Then today, in all my Marian spirits, I was blessed enough to plan a visit to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, the location where Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré to instruct her to have the Miraculous Medal struck. A wonderful thing to do for anybody at anytime, but it was particularly fitting for me this week as it is May and St. Catherine’s body is there, and she happens to be my confirmation Saint.

Mary appeared to St. Catherine here; the apparitions from which the Miraculous Medal comes. Now, the fresco on the wall depicts Mary's visit to St. Catherine. The statue of Mary behind the alter is the same image that appears on the medal. And, just below the mosaic to the right is where St. Catherine's body rests. Click here for more on the Chapel.

Saint Catherine understood Mary’s significance. When her mother died, she said, “Now you will be my mother," while looking at a statue of the Virgin Mary. At this time, Catherine was only a child.

We have just over four days to make this month a Marian one. What will you do?

Now, if you want to celebrate Marian May with a prayer....

Holy Virgin, I beg you: enable me to receive Jesus from the Spirit, according to the same process by which you bore Him. May my soul possess Christ, thanks to the Spirit through whom you conceived Christ. May the grace to know Jesus be granted to me through the Spirit who enabled you to know how to possess Jesus and bring him forth. May my littleness show forth the greatness of Christ in virtue of the Spirit in whom you recognized yourself as the handmaid of the Lord, desiring that it be done to you according to the word of the angel. May I love Christ in the Spirit in whom you adored Him as your Lord and looked after Him as your son.

- Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo