Mary's Month

May is the Month of Mary. It’s a fitting time to celebrate so loving a Mother. The springtime weather has finally arrived and the flowers are beginning to bloom. This time of peacefulness causes our hearts to reflect on the greatness and glory of God in His gift to us in the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, 33 years ago this past Tuesday, Pope Saint John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square. He knew that Our Lady saved his life and eventually made a pilgrimage to Fatima (where apparitions of Our Lady to three young shepherd children Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia had first begun 64 years prior to his being shot) to place the bullet from the attempt into the crown of Our Lady. In 2007 I was blessed with the grace and privilege of making a pilgrimage to Fatima. I was able to see this bullet in the crown of Mary, placed there by a Saint whom I hold in such great devotion. This left me awestruck at the immense love that Pope Saint John Paul II the Great had for Our Lady. I was inspired anew by his witness of charity and forgiveness. I don’t know why he left the bullet in the crown of Our Lady of Fatima, but what this leaves me reflecting upon is the beauty of Mary’s queenship!

 

Our Lady's ministry to us as Queen Mother is one that is so rich. The last glorious mystery of the rosary is the coronation of Mary as Queen of heaven and earth. When we pray the rosary, do we reflect on this great gift we have in Mary? Do we pray with this in our personal prayer time?

 

All over the country and maybe the world, parishes and schoolchildren are celebrating May Crownings. The tradition is after some type of prayer time, a statue of Our Lady is crowned with an array of flowers. Mary'a role to us as Queen Mother extends to us through her intercession as advocate and mediatrix.

 

One thing I particularly find moving as a personal devotion of my own, ever since having consecrated myself to Mary, is to crown her as queen of my heart during this month of Mary. If you have never done this, I recommend it. After all, through Mary we can grow so much deeper into our relationship with her most loving Son, Our Lord!

 

Written by Nicolette

 

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did." St. Maximillian Kolbe

 

"The Madonna is the shortcut to God…Abandon yourself in the hands of Mary. She will take care of you." - St. Padre Pio