May has arrived. So many memories are flooding my mind!

That “Flowers to Mary” exercise at school… They would give us a little piece of paper—half a sheet of paper—with some printed words: GIFT TO MARY. And underneath, I OFFER YOU… And then, I ASK YOU…

Each of us filled in the blanks with our offering or petition using a pen. Just in case anyone was lacking inspiration, a small spinner had been placed on the classroom wall. We spun it vigorously, and after a moment of  suspense,  the pointer would land on a number from 1 to 25. Below it was a numbered slip of paper with the details, small sacrifices, or prayers you could land on to offer to the Virgin Mary that day: picking up a piece of paper from the floor, tidying your notebook, helping a classmate with their homework, praying a Hail Mary, visiting the Blessed Sacrament… A fun pastime!

At 5 p.m., we had the “Flower Exercise.” We lined up in two rows in the chapel aisle, which had a beautiful image of the Immaculate Conception. There were two large trays by the door. There were about 120 of us students. A second-grade boy, who had an angelic voice, sang a song from inside the church. It was a dialogue:

SOLOIST: “Come, come”

ALL: “Come, let us all go”

SOLOIST: “Come, Come”

ALL: “who is our Mother”

SOLOIST AND ALL: “Here we are again, Purest Maiden…”

And as we entered, we placed the folded slip of paper inside the tray. Then we took our seats and, with songs and prayers, we did the Flower Exercise. Ten or fifteen minutes.

The chaplain advised us to put a small picture or image of Mary in our room and to place a wildflower there each day. However, if we hadn’t fulfilled our spiritual offering or flower of the day, we shouldn’t place the flower there either.

On the last day of May, we would gather outdoors before a statue of the Immaculate Conception, which stood on a granite pedestal. In front of it, on the ground, was a large brazier in which we burned all the slips of paper bearing our prayers and tokens of devotion to Mary, collected throughout the month. As they burned, we sang and prayed with youthful enthusiasm. The  white smoke  rose toward the sky, passing before the smiling face of the Virgin.

Yes. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. And a lot, among other things because it was more than 50 years ago, and it was in Galicia where “it knows how to rain,” as they say here in America.

Yes. It was Catholic Spain. I don’t know if now we could say  “we’re all going ,” but surely, at least, many, many of us can go: those who are children and those of us who become children, because it’s worthwhile.

Perhaps instead of singing  “Purísima Doncella más que la luna bella” (Purest Maiden, more beautiful than the moon) , we have beautiful, more modern songs, but with the same affection for the Mother of God and our Mother.

Perhaps, among the sacrifices offered, we could make some more modern ones too: a few minutes less on social media or writing something nice about the Virgin Mary on them.

What never goes out of style is jumping out of bed promptly when it’s time and kissing a picture or image of the Virgin to say good morning, or looking at her affectionately while saying something to her inside, or praying the three Hail Marys – perhaps on your knees – before going to bed at night.

Welcome, May, the month of Mary. She truly looks upon us with compassion and never abandons us.