France, Mary, and me

in a side chapel at Rouen Cathedral, I discovered this treasure

On our recent pilgrimage of the great French Cathedrals we encountered countless pieces of religious art.  But as my insightful mother in law MarySue Schriber noted, 

“good art shows you something new that you haven’t thought of before, as distinct from confirming what you already know.” 

I've been pondering on that, and came up with a few images of Mary from our pilgrimage that helped me discover something about the Mother of Jesus, by opening up my memory--and my imagination.

the "hipped" Mary at Amiens

AND at Compiegne--love her stance!

My first draft of  “The Seekers Guide to Mary” was completely journalistic.  I covered everything:  Mary in relation to scripture, history, other faith traditions, shrines and prayers. 

But my editor at Loyola Press kept pushing me, urging me to say it, “in my own voice.”  It was the hardest thing I had ever faced as a writer—and the best thing I've been pushed to do. 

Mary has always been part of my life as a Hispanic Catholic.  But how do I explain that to you?  The process of rewriting and editing that book made me focus on my own relationship with Mary, and it made me work on how to explain it to other people. 

Caen

Crypt chapel, Chartres

Notre-Dame-la-Grande, Poitier

I had to learn that it was—or rather, it is—through my own stories as a youth, as a mother,  with my own family that I can best tell you about Mary. 

I once heard author Madeline L'Engle say at a writers’ retreat that, yes, it's all been said before. But we have to tell it in our own voice.

At a personal level, that’s how Mary makes sense to me. 

the three kings, Epiphany at St-Pierre de Chauvigny

and the Annunciation (back), with demons and angels watching (front)

a hipster Mary, Chaggal, Hitler, a cyclop abbey--and yes, Joan of Arc!

windows by Mark Chaggal

Notre Dame de Reims

Before going into today's treasures from our pilgrimage through the French countryside, I want to share another wonderful image of Mother Mary, from yesterday's visit to Amiens:

I absolutely love her smile and how she's pointing to Jesus as if saying (a very motherly thing), "hey, did you hear what he just said?"  

By the way, I learned that this "style" of pose is called "hipped" because of its posture. How appropriate! I don't know any mother that has not held their young child at some point by posturing the son or daughter on her hip!

Today began with a visit to the Armistice Museum, just outside of our home base of Campaigne. This is where the Germans surrendered to the French at the end of WWI, and where the French surrendered to Hitler as they advanced into France during WWII.  It was quite provocative and 

I'm still pondering emotions from that one.

From there we drove to Soissons, where 80% of the town was destroyed by German artillery at the final retreat of the war. The cathedral itself was so seriously damaged that the Michelin Battlefield Guide declared it "beyond hope of repair" at the end of WWII.  Yet it still stands!

artillery shell on the facade of the cathedral

Also in Soissons, we visited St. Jean desVignes Abbey, or rather -- its remains. Only the facade of the Abbey church remains, but what a sight it is! I've never seen anything like it. It was huge, and still felt alive. Perhaps its because I kept thinking that it looked like a mythical one-eyed cyclop overseeing the valley before it! 

Also, I am obsessed with the vast yellow fields we keep driving by all over the countryside, a crop we think is mustard, although some of the sources I've read call it rape seed -- which turns into rapeseed oil used for cooking oil, paints, animal feed, margarine. All  I know is that I keep taking pictures hoping one will capture its awesomeness, but alas, I don't think it's possible!

As MarySue noted today, our great cathedrals are growing in stature and beauty by the day, like a major crescendo on our great Gothic French cathedrals pilgrimage ! Our finale today was Notre Dame de Reims, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

 Joan of Arc was everywhere. The Reims Cathedral is where Joan of Arc brought the man who was to be declared King of France--and where a long line of French kings have been coronated. Today we saw Joan in traditional form, and as part of an exhibit by contemporary artist Greg Tricker:

St. Jeanne, la colombé: St. Joan, the dove