Monthly Devotion: The Blessed Virgin Mary

The Madonna of the Roses by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

"Tis the month of our Mother,
the blessed and beautiful days,
when our lips and our spirits,
are glowing with love and with praise.
All hail, to dear Mary,
the guardian of our way,
to the fairest of Queens,
be the fairest of seasons sweet May."
From the hymn, "Tis the Month of our Mother"

What a glorious and beautiful month we have just begun - Mary's month. As Marian Sisters, this month comes with a particular joy. We are blessed to be able to honor Our Lady in special ways this month - with a May Shrine, singing songs devoted to the Blessed Mother, renewing our consecrations to Jesus through Mary, and several May Crownings to name a few!

As our chaplain has frequently reminded us; honoring, loving, and being consecrated to Mary is not only a good thing, it is an imitation of Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is reason enough to practice this month' devotion with great love. However, God cannot be outdone in generosity, and not only do we get to love Mary as Jesus' Mother, but as ours as well. And what a good Mother she is. Holy Mary, Queen of the May, pray for us!

Childhood of Christ by Gerrit van Honthorst

Since May 1st is also the great feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, let us ask that through his intercession these words of Scripture may be true for us: "All whatsoever you do in word or work, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." (Colossians 3) Let us also make this prayer from Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form ours today and every day:

Obtain for us, Joseph,
grace to lead an innocent life,
and may it ever be shielded by
thy patronage. Amen.