Notre Dame

Awhile ago I read an article about a woman who prayed to Sainte Thérèse (sahnt ter-ehz: Saint Thérèse), asking the saint to scatter flowers from heaven.  Saint Thérèse is from Lisieux (lis-ee-u), France.  A nun during the late 1800s, Thérèse showed her love for God and humankind by scattering flowers, hence her nickname "The Little Flower".  The theory in the Catholic Church is that if you to pray Thérèse for 14 days, then on the 15th day you will be presented with flowers in some form, a sign that your prayer will be answered.  Just as the legend goes, the woman in this article prayed to Saint Thérèse and, lo and behold, on the 15th day received 12 dozen leftover roses from her neighbor's garden.  Instantly the woman's faith in the Church was renewed and she's been claiming the healing power of prayer ever since.

As inspiring as an article like this can be, I'm not a religious person.  Sure, I believe in some strong greater-than-human force, and I also believe in the power of prayer if only in so much that positive thoughts cause positive actions.  But honestly, I really couldn't care less if someone needs Christmas, Krishna, or karma in order to express their spirituality--or lack thereof.  France, for instance, seems to be less and less religious everyday, but there's one thing the French still have faith in: Notre Dame (no-tra dahm: Our Lady), and there are plenty of intricate cathedrals around celebrating Her.

French love les femmes (leh fehm: women), and of all the women they love, it seems they love the Virgin Mary the most (well maybe second most to Bridgette Bardot or Chanel).  Most cities in France have at least one cathedral dedicated to the matriarch such as Notre-Dame de Grenoble, the cathedral in downtown Grenoble that I visited today in order to light a candle and say an Ave Maria for my beautiful, perfect, wonderful 3-months old niece who goes into Stanford Children's Hospital on Monday for major heart tests and, possibly, surgery.

There are a million-and-one ways to express spirituality, but in my desperate need of a physical way of expressing my inner-turmoil over my niece's condition, it was nice to have a cathedral close-by to just sit and think and cry and hope in peace in front of the powerful, sacred Our Lady icon with her baby in her arms.  Even if I don't believe in the power of the Pope, like most of the French I do believe in the power of women and the incredible strength of Sedona to make it through.  After all, ever since her birth Sedona has become the lady of the Maver family.  Her birth, existence, and beauty makes my faith in family stronger, and my prayers will always be with her.  I hope yours will be too.