THE
MONTH OF MARY - - - - - MAY
By Glen Leo
Mendonca,
Pastoral Associate
Mary is not the Gospel. There is no Gospel of Mary. But without Mary, neither is there any Gospel. So she is not missing from any of the four (Matthew Mark Luke or John).
She is not only needed for wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes (and for
washing them - - - ) She is not only necessary for teaching Him to take His first steps, toddling in our world of men. Her mission is not only
co-existence with that of the earthly Jesus, but goes far beyond His death on the Cross: She is present at His resurrection and the rise of His Church.
Garbed with the sun, crowned with stars, standing on the moon, Mary, as her Son remains forever. She will go on forever, as the Word of God of which she is the Echo. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, belongs to the store of goods common to Jesus and His disciples. His Father is our Father. His hour is our hour, His glory, our glory. His Mother, our Mother.
From apostolic times, tradition, the Church, and the faithful have accorded to Mary, the Mother of God, the second highest degree of honor, hyperdulia.
She has been celebrated in feasts ( 14 +) throughout the year in the Divine Office in devotions such as the rosary and litany, and by title she has been hailed the patroness of many countries, and has been honored in hymns, songs, poetry's sculpture, painting and literature as no other creature.
The month of May is a time of special devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Modern May devotions go back to the sixteenth century. Pope Pius VII approved and indulgenced the special prayers offered to Mary during May, and Pope's Leo XIII and Pius XII issued a number of significant documents on Marian piety, supporting the custom throughout the Church.
A popular custom during the month of May is the May crowning. It is a solemn procession with hymns to Mary, at the close of which a statue of the Blessed Virgin is crowned with a garland of roses or other appropriate ornament. A May crowning is often the high point of public devotion to Our lady in the diocese, parish, or Catholic institution.
It would be nice if the parishes could have a May Crowning.
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