A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
It's the last Sunday in May - Mary's month. We Catholics have honored Our Blessed Mother in special ways for centuries. But why is May Mary's month? Here's an explanation from the National Catholic Register:
The custom spans both centuries and cultures, with roots going back as far as the Ancient Greeks. In early Greece, May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of fecundity.
In Ancient Rome, May was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of blooms, or blossoms. They celebrated ludi florals, or floral games, at the end of April and asked the intercession of Flora for all that blooms.
In medieval times, similar customs abounded, all centering around the practice of expelling winter, as May 1 was considered the start of new growth.
During this period, the tradition of Tricesimum, or “Thirty-Day Devotion to Mary,” came into being. Also called, “Lady Month,” the event was held from August 15-September 14 and is still observed in some areas.
The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to baroque times. Although it wasn’t always held during May, Mary Month included thirty daily spiritual exercises honoring Mary.
It was in this era that Mary’s Month and May were combined, making May the Month of Mary with special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. This custom became especially widespread during the nineteenth century and remains in practice until today.
If you haven't yet given some special attention during May to Mary, Sunday's the perfect time to do that now. It's the Lord's Day. And the Lord holds Mary in higher esteem than any other of His unique creatures. She alone was born without stain of Original Sin. And remember, too, that she is the Mother of God. What could we possibly have to do today that's more important than giving Our Blessed Mother a few moments of our thoughts and prayers?
But wait, here's something more to encourage your devotion to our Our Lady today. As Father Emil Neubert, S.M. has written:
"Mary Transmits to us Supernatural Life. This spiritual motherhood means that Mary has given us supernatural life just as truly as our mothers have given us natural life. What our mothers do for our natural life, Mary does in the supernatural order, nourishing, protecting, increasing, and developing our life so as to bring it to maturity...
"...this supernatural life is a reality far superior to any other created reality, far superior even to this natural life which is so dear to us, for the martyrs have joyously sacrificed the latter for it, and we, too, must be ever ready to lose our natural life rather than lose the state of grace; this superiority is especially evident when we consider that the Son of God became incarnate and sacrificed His life to merit this life of grace for us.
"But what is this supernatural life, so imperceptible and yet so precious? It is nothing else than the very life of God, the life of Christ in us. By it, St. Peter tells us, we become ‘partakers of the divine nature.’ And St. Paul writes: ‘It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.’ And again: ‘For me to live is Christ.’ In another place he teaches us that we form one body with Jesus Christ who is our Head. Now, in a body, the same life animates the head and the members. Besides, even before Peter and Paul, Jesus Himself had taught His disciples: ‘I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit.’ The same sap circulates in the trunk and in the branches; the same life circulates in Christ and in His disciples. And this participation in the infinite life, the eternal life of God, is communicated to us by Mary.”
I hope this puts you in the right frame of mind to enjoy this hymn to Mary, traditionally sung in the month of May.
Happy Sunday!
The custom spans both centuries and cultures, with roots going back as far as the Ancient Greeks. In early Greece, May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of fecundity.
In Ancient Rome, May was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of blooms, or blossoms. They celebrated ludi florals, or floral games, at the end of April and asked the intercession of Flora for all that blooms.
In medieval times, similar customs abounded, all centering around the practice of expelling winter, as May 1 was considered the start of new growth.
During this period, the tradition of Tricesimum, or “Thirty-Day Devotion to Mary,” came into being. Also called, “Lady Month,” the event was held from August 15-September 14 and is still observed in some areas.
The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to baroque times. Although it wasn’t always held during May, Mary Month included thirty daily spiritual exercises honoring Mary.
It was in this era that Mary’s Month and May were combined, making May the Month of Mary with special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. This custom became especially widespread during the nineteenth century and remains in practice until today.
If you haven't yet given some special attention during May to Mary, Sunday's the perfect time to do that now. It's the Lord's Day. And the Lord holds Mary in higher esteem than any other of His unique creatures. She alone was born without stain of Original Sin. And remember, too, that she is the Mother of God. What could we possibly have to do today that's more important than giving Our Blessed Mother a few moments of our thoughts and prayers?
But wait, here's something more to encourage your devotion to our Our Lady today. As Father Emil Neubert, S.M. has written:
"Mary Transmits to us Supernatural Life. This spiritual motherhood means that Mary has given us supernatural life just as truly as our mothers have given us natural life. What our mothers do for our natural life, Mary does in the supernatural order, nourishing, protecting, increasing, and developing our life so as to bring it to maturity...
"...this supernatural life is a reality far superior to any other created reality, far superior even to this natural life which is so dear to us, for the martyrs have joyously sacrificed the latter for it, and we, too, must be ever ready to lose our natural life rather than lose the state of grace; this superiority is especially evident when we consider that the Son of God became incarnate and sacrificed His life to merit this life of grace for us.
"But what is this supernatural life, so imperceptible and yet so precious? It is nothing else than the very life of God, the life of Christ in us. By it, St. Peter tells us, we become ‘partakers of the divine nature.’ And St. Paul writes: ‘It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.’ And again: ‘For me to live is Christ.’ In another place he teaches us that we form one body with Jesus Christ who is our Head. Now, in a body, the same life animates the head and the members. Besides, even before Peter and Paul, Jesus Himself had taught His disciples: ‘I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit.’ The same sap circulates in the trunk and in the branches; the same life circulates in Christ and in His disciples. And this participation in the infinite life, the eternal life of God, is communicated to us by Mary.”
I hope this puts you in the right frame of mind to enjoy this hymn to Mary, traditionally sung in the month of May.
Happy Sunday!
Comments