May is the month that we remember our mothers in a special way. In the US, Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May (this year May 10th).
May is also traditionally considered Mary’s month. We celebrate and honor not only our earthly mothers during this month, but also and in a particular way, we dedicate the whole month to our heavenly Mother.
To Jesus Through Mary
The tender maternal-filial relationship that we have with our Blessed Mother began when Christ was still on earth: Woman, behold your son (Jn 19:26)…Behold your Mother (Jn 19:27). She is one of the greatest gifts that Christ gave to us. She is the one who always shows us the way to her Son.
St. Louis de Montfort, voicing what the Church and her saints have always lived and taught, says of Mary: “It was through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that he must reign in the world.” (True Devotion, 1)
St. Pope Paul VI expresses this beautifully in his 1965 Encyclical Mense Maio (The Month of May):
Since Mary is rightly to be regarded as the way by which we are led to Christ, the person who encounters Mary cannot help but encounter Christ likewise. For what other reason do we continually turn to Mary except to seek the Christ in her arms, to seek our Savior in her, through her, and with her? To Him men are to turn amid the anxieties and perils of this world (2).
If we are to truly know and love Jesus, we must learn this from His Mother who is also our Mother.
May is Mary’s Month
Just as we love our Mothers not only on Mother’s Day, we love Mary at all times; but we shower her especially with our love in May:
May is a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. Our heart rejoices at the thought of the moving tribute of faith and love which will soon be paid to the Queen of Heaven in every corner of the earth. For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne (Mense Maio, 1).
May also contains several feast days of Our Lady, including:
- Our Lady of Lujan (patroness of our Congregation) – May 8
- Our Lady of Fatima – May 13
- Mary, Queen of Apostles – first Saturday after the Ascension (May 23rd)
- Mary, Help of Christians – May 24
- Feast of the Visitation – May 31
You can find a list of Marian Commemorations for every day in May here.
May Crowning
The tradition of a May Crowning of Our Blessed Mother is practiced by her children all over the world. We find a beautiful explanation of this in the Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary (issued by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship in 1987, the Marian Year):
The queen symbol was attributed to Mary because she was a perfect follower of Christ, who is the absolute ‘crown’ of creation. She is the Mother of the Son of God, who is the messianic King. Mary is the Mother of Christ, the Word Incarnate … Mary is the perfect follower of Christ. The maid of Nazareth consented to God’s plan; she journeyed on the pilgrimage of faith; she listened to God’s Word and kept it in her heart; she remained steadfastly in close union with her Son, all the way to the foot of the Cross; she persevered in prayer with the Church. Thus, in an eminent way, she won the ‘crown of righteousness,’ ‘the crown of life,’ ‘the crown of glory’ that is promised to those who follow Christ. (as quoted by Catholic Straight Answers)
Let us say with St. Louis de Montfort and with all the saints, “De Maria numquam satis: We have still not praised, exalted, honoured, loved and served Mary adequately. She is worthy of even more praise, respect, love and service” (True Devotion, 10).
See the video of the May Crowning at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, MD
During this month, consider doing your own May Crowning in your house, in your garden, where ever you have an image of your Heavenly Mother.
Ask…seek…knock: Mary, intercede for us!
This May, we also implore Mary’s protection and help in a particular way. With perennial advice, St. Pope Pius VI strongly encouraged turning to Mary’s powerful intercession especially during the month of May.
Because the month of May is a powerful incentive to more frequent and fervent prayers, and because our petitions more readily find access to her compassionate heart during it, it has been a favorite custom of Our predecessors to choose this month, dedicated to Mary, for urging the Christian people to offer up public prayers whenever the needs of the Church demanded it or some grave crisis threatened the human race (Mense Maio, 3).
During this May 2020, our Holy Father Pope Francis urges us to pray especially the Rosary:
I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May … contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial (Letter on the Month of May, 2020).
His words echo what the Vicar of Christ has long taught:
…do not fail to put repeated emphasis on the recitation of the Rosary, the prayer so pleasing to Our Lady and so often recommended by the Roman Pontiffs. It affords the faithful an excellent means of complying effectively and pleasingly with our divine Master’s command: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Mense Maio, 14).
May we, her children from the foot of the Cross, be particularly fervent in our petitions, faithful in our devotion, true in our love for her, our Mother, Mother of the Church, Mother of all the human race and Mother of God.
May she who experienced the cares and hardships of earthly life, the weariness of daily toil, the hardships and trials of poverty, and the sorrows of Calvary, come to aid the needs of the Church and the human race. May she graciously lend an ear to the devout pleas of those all over the world who beg her for peace. May she enlighten the minds of those who rule nations. And finally, may she prevail on God, who rules the winds and storms, to calm the tempests in men’s warring hearts and grant us peace in our day (Mense Maio, 12).
“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.
In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.
To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
Resources for Mary in May
- Enrollment in the Mother’s Day Novena at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Daily videos for the 33-day preparation for Consecration to Mary (IVE)
- The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort
- True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort
- Reign, O Mary! Resources in various languages for Marian Devotion and Consecration according to the spirit of St. Louis de Montfort
- History of Crowning of Mary (University of Dayton)
- International Marian Research Institute (University of Dayton)
- Fun and Games with Mary – for children and Adults (University of Dayton)
- Free Mary App (Marians of the Immaculate Conception)
- Mary in the Gospels, in the Magisterium, prayers and more (Marians of the Immaculate Conception)
- All about Church teachings of Mary, Mother of God (EWTN)
