31 May: The Feast of Mary

31 May is the Feast of Mary/ Flores de Mayo/Flowers of May, a commemoration of the Virgin Mary. Here are 10 facts about the mother of Jesus:

1. The name Mary evolved from the Egyptian language and is thought to mean “beloved” or possibly, as a derivative of Miriam, “bitter”.
2. The Virgin Mary has been given a number of titles, which include Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Theotokos (God Bearer). “Madonna” is usually used to refer to a depiction of Mary in art, eg. “Madonna and child”.
3. While the Bible meticulously details Joseph’s lineage, we don’t know much about Mary’s. Since she is stated to be a relative of Zechariah and Elizabeth, it’s thought she may have been a descendant of Levi and Aaron. According to the apocryphal Gospel of James, Mary was the daughter of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.
4. She’s mentioned in the Quran as well as in the Bible. In the Quran, she has an entire chapter named for her and is the only woman referred to by her first name in the Quran. She gets more mentions there than in the Bible. Muslims, however, know her as Maryam.
5. She was present at the wedding when Jesus performed his first miracle, turning Water into Wine. In fact, she even suggested to the organisers that, when they ran out of wine, they should do whatever Jesus told them to do.
6. Apocryphal writings have more to say about what Mary may have done in her later life than the Bible does. Hyppolitus of Thebes says that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of Jesus, dying in 41 AD. Some accounts say she became a significant leader in the early Christian church. Some say she went to live in Ephesus, in modern day Turkey – there’s a house there which is said to have been her home and is a destination for pilgrims.
7. Her death isn’t described in the Bible. The Catholic church holds that she was assumed, “body and soul” into Heaven and so never died, as such.
8. Mary has appeared on the front cover of Time magazine more than any other person.
9. There are many accounts of people having visions of Mary. Her message is usually urging people to return to God and say the rosary. Three of the best known such visitations are: 18 times to St Bernadette of Lourdes, helping to set up a healing spring there; in 1830 to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris, when she revealed the image of the Miraculous Medal, promising special graces to anyone who wears it; and six appearances to three young shepherd children in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal.
10. There are also many accounts of miracles connected with her relics and images. There are several accounts of statues of her which weep. When Chartres cathedral in France burned down, only Mary’s relic – “The Veil of the Virgin”– survived. It was protected by three priests who were also miraculously preserved from the heat and flames.

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