A PHOTO ESSAY

My Mother Brings Beauty to the Ghetto

Mary’s garden is an urban paradise

Photo by author of author’s daughter, used with permission of my daughter (consent is important).

I’ve been saying Evening Prayer in the garden for a week or so now, and with the time change the sun is setting later than it used to, which leaves gorgeous sunlight still at 6:00.

I’m going to have to get something for the mozzies soon, but not quite yet. This evening was cool and crisp, the perfect spring evening. The neighborhood children were playing basketball loudly in the street, enjoying themselves.

Tonight I also prayed a bunch of Marian prayers in the garden, seeing as it’s really Mary’s garden. It is, of course, primarily a rose garden, but everything else complements the beauty of the roses and has been placed or planted with intention and care.

Photo owned and taken by author. These are some of my many Marian prayer cards.

I have a lot of Marian prayer cards, and so I pray different ones of them each time. Seeing as it’s currently Lent, I’ll be praying more of the penitential ones. I’m also spending a little extra time with Our Lady of Sorrows.

I waddle out to the garden each evening with my rollator walker, which of course can double as a tiny desk. The prayer cards can…