A Sunday Though About Our May Queen
(Originally posted May 4, 2014)
May is Mary's month. Traditionally we Catholics crown a statue of Our Blessed Mother as our Queen as the month begins. In our local parish, a statue of Mary stands to the right of the altar, Our Lady wearing her special crown made of flowers.
Growing up in Jersey City, attending Catholic school, taught by the Sister of Charity (when they still wore real habits), the May crowning really was a highlight of the school year. The air was typically light and fresh, gentle warmth having finally replaced the biting cold of winter that sometimes extended its bitterness through April. By May, though, spring settled in and provided the perfect backdrop to our crowning.
We would all line up in the playground by class - something we did each morning before marching into school, and a procession, accompanied by hymns would ensue. In those days, there was one special hymn we all knew and we all sang as the crown bearer would slowly walk toward the simple white statue of Our Lady that stood in the corner of our playground. You hardly hear that lovely hymn anymore; I think it's considered too sentimental, "old fashioned," or something along those lines, although I don't really know. I just know I haven't heard it in years. Certainly it doesn't hold a candle to the Schubert or the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," but in its own way, this simple sentimental hymn really did capture the feelings so many of us had as we honored Mary, Queen of the May. While we may not sing it anymore, there's of course Youtube, where you can find many versions old and new of "Bring Flowers of the Rarest," also known as "Queen of the May."
In honor of Our Lady, and those Sisters of Charity in their black and white habits, here's a more contemporary version of this lovely hymn by tenor John McDermott, chorus complete with children's voices. I think the old hymn holds up pretty well. I find verse 2 especially moving:
Dark indeed without you, Dear Mother.
Take a now moment to remember and honor Mary, our Queen of the May.
May is Mary's month. Traditionally we Catholics crown a statue of Our Blessed Mother as our Queen as the month begins. In our local parish, a statue of Mary stands to the right of the altar, Our Lady wearing her special crown made of flowers.
Growing up in Jersey City, attending Catholic school, taught by the Sister of Charity (when they still wore real habits), the May crowning really was a highlight of the school year. The air was typically light and fresh, gentle warmth having finally replaced the biting cold of winter that sometimes extended its bitterness through April. By May, though, spring settled in and provided the perfect backdrop to our crowning.
We would all line up in the playground by class - something we did each morning before marching into school, and a procession, accompanied by hymns would ensue. In those days, there was one special hymn we all knew and we all sang as the crown bearer would slowly walk toward the simple white statue of Our Lady that stood in the corner of our playground. You hardly hear that lovely hymn anymore; I think it's considered too sentimental, "old fashioned," or something along those lines, although I don't really know. I just know I haven't heard it in years. Certainly it doesn't hold a candle to the Schubert or the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," but in its own way, this simple sentimental hymn really did capture the feelings so many of us had as we honored Mary, Queen of the May. While we may not sing it anymore, there's of course Youtube, where you can find many versions old and new of "Bring Flowers of the Rarest," also known as "Queen of the May."
In honor of Our Lady, and those Sisters of Charity in their black and white habits, here's a more contemporary version of this lovely hymn by tenor John McDermott, chorus complete with children's voices. I think the old hymn holds up pretty well. I find verse 2 especially moving:
Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.
In harmony blending,
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.
Dark indeed without you, Dear Mother.
Take a now moment to remember and honor Mary, our Queen of the May.
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