From Father Ken – May: The Month of the Blessed Mother Mary

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!

May is seen as the month of Mary. Why? May elegantly stands out as a month of regeneration. It is the month when the temperature is not hot and it is not cold. This makes it very conducive for life forms to regenerate and bloom. The flowers blossom, giving the environment a beautiful and refreshing outlook. It is also a time for cultivation. Just as flowers beautify the environment, so do virtues beautify human life. Just as May is typical to cultivate and tend flowers and plants, so is May for cultivating and tending human virtues.

We look up to Jesus for all the virtues. Jesus is the fruit of Mary’s womb (cf Lk 1:42). Jesus who is perfect in virtues allowed himself to be regenerated in Mary’s womb, just as flowers and plants are regenerated in May.

Secondly, Mary herself is admired for her virtues such as humility, obedience, love, compassion, and care. Virtues and flowers go hand in hand, for just as flowers beautify the environment, so do virtues beautify human life. Just as we cultivate flowers in May, so do we tend to cultivate in our lives the virtues of Mary.

Thirdly, women are associated with regeneration by the virtue of their femininity. May is the month of mothers and the mother of Jesus is the best of mothers. As we celebrate the Mother’s Day in May, we look up to the mother of the Saviour with some filial veneration, if you like the word, devotion.

Very striking with the month of May is the practice of May Devotion. Here are some of the things people do as May devotion:

• Renewed dedication to the rosary such as saying it daily, meditating on the mysteries with the words of the Gospel.

• May crowning and adorning the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary with flowers.

• Undertaking some Marian novenas such as Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Sorrows etc.

• Singing Marian hymns to end family prayers, school hours, group sessions, personal prayers, etc.

• Reading a good book on the Blessed Virgin Mary such as The Secret of Mary by St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis De Montfort, Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori, etc.

• Frequent recitation of Marian prayers such as the Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, the Memorare, the Litany of Loreto, etc.

Frs. Steve Arisman, Bruce Scott and myself wish all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day celebration!

Fr. Kenneth Ahanonu