My dear friends in Christ,
We enter into the Month of May when earth springs into bloom. We start to think about gardening, family outings, trips or vacations, all of which we haven’t been able to do because of the pandemic. May is also the Month of Mary, our Blessed Mother! So why has the Catholic Church set aside the entire month of May to honor Mary, Mother of God? The custom spans both centuries and cultures, with roots going back as far as the Ancient Greeks. The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to baroque times. It was in this era that Mary’s Month and May were combined, making May the Month of Mary with special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. This custom became especially widespread during the nineteenth century and remains in practice until today. During May, some honor Mary in the Church by reciting a daily Rosary. In many Churches, a statue of Mary is placed on the Altar where the May Crowning takes place. It’s a reminder to the faithful to strive to imitate our Blessed Mother’s virtue in our own lives. So what can we do? We can pray to Mary or set up our own Mary prayer corner in our homes and ask for her intercession. And we do it because Mary is Mother — your Mother, my Mother, everyone’s Mother and because she cares and intercedes for us when we need her the most.
The Religious Education students will crown Mary at the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday this weekend.
May God bless you all,
Father John