It may seem strange, even somewhat presumptuous, to invite you to follow me in the footsteps of Mary during this month of May. I am neither a spiritual master (far from it!) nor a Mariologist, and there is no shortage of books on Marian spirituality. So – why reinvent the wheel? Why try to recreate from scratch the well-known and much-loved figure of the Virgin?
I invite you to follow me because a publisher knows how to do at least one thing reasonably well: to bring to light the most fitting insights of others, organizing them and, when needed, rephrasing them for the benefit of a readership whose expectations and experiences are constantly evolving. After more than a decade as editorial director at Novalis, I have seen many manuscripts that take Mary of Nazareth as their focal point. Some became books; but even those that did not often contained ideas, expressions and inspirations worth sharing.
And so, it is mainly by recalling what I have read in recent years that I wrote these short daily texts. To my great regret, I can no longer find the manuscript that inspired the chosen structure, associating each day with a Marian title. I thank that anonymous author, for I find this approach both original and fruitful.
I am also indebted to my predecessors in preparing the Month of Mary at Novalis. Unlike me, they have long been “intimates” of Mary: Georges Madore and Jacques Gauthier. I reread their work in French, published in 2021 and 2023, and found much there to inspire me. I also immersed myself in Walking with Mary Through Light and Darkness by Melannie Svoboda, SND, recently published by Twenty-Third Publications.
Each day, after naming the Marian title, I briefly explain its theological meaning. Then follows a biblical quotation that echoes it, a short meditation and finally a prayer. More than anything, I have drawn from my reading of the great friends of the Virgin one lesson I have tried, as much as possible, to apply: when it comes to Mary, it is better to imitate her – to choose simplicity.
Have a blessed Month of Mary!
Jonathan Guilbault, Publisher of Novalis
