So often we hear that the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary where we give her a special honor. Well, that is true as we recognize her great role in the plan of God. We can recall how her cousin, Elizabeth, called her blessed when she was visited. “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” When we think of our Blessed Mother, we recognize that she is indeed blessed, not only because she was the Mother of Jesus, but because she believed in the Lord’s words. She believed with all her heart and said “yes” to become the Mother of the Son of God. She allowed herself to be led by God’s grace throughout her life, a life that is rooted in a deep faith in God. She became her Son’s first and most perfect disciple.
No wonder that in 1965, Pope Paul VI wrote a short encyclical on the month of May. He wrote that May is an occasion for a “moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world pay to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary, from their hearts, an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God’s mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance.”
As a parish, our tribute to her will be the crowning of her image this coming Sunday, May 13th, which is timely because it is the celebration of Mother’s Day. I invite you to join us. It will be done prior to the 8:30 A.M. mass with the second grade, who are actually receiving their first communion this Sunday at the 11:00 A.M. mass. This year, we have seventeen communicants:
Lilee Bergstrom Jackson Paustenbaugh
Emily Boylan Jaxson Pebler
Olivia Brestensky Emma Shepherd
Noah Brozenick Elizabeth Smetak
Molly Carney Cameron Smith
Liam Dunn David Ursiak
Lauren Hellgren Spencer Valasek
Elena Jenkins Rylee Valenti
Marco Wolfe
Congratulations to all of them!
As we continue to give honor to our Blessed Mother during the month of May, I invite you to pray with her. Let us all place ourselves in the school of Mary to learn from her how to love God more fervently and to love one another as her Son has loved us.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us and draw us closer to Christ her Son!