May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dear Rev. Fathers, Sisters, Brothers and Lay faithful,

Greetings in the name of the Blessed Ever Virgin Mary!

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the month of May is observed as Mary’s month, and May Day is usually a celebration of the Virgin Mary. Mary’s head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to special Marian devotions held in the Catholic Church during the month of May honouring the Virgin Mary as "the Queen of May". A "May Crowning" is a traditional Roman Catholic ritual that occurs in the month of May. May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary are a prominent part of Catholic prayer life and still are in some places. It is also known Madhavanakkam in our mother tongue.

The pious practice of honouring Mary during the month of May has been especially recommended by the Popes. In 1947, Pius XII made frequent reference to it and in his great Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy (Mediator Dei) characterized it as one of "other exercises of piety which although not strictly belonging to the Sacred Liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult: they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the Bishops" (no. 182).

Paul VI wrote a short encyclical Mense Maio in 1965 and identified the month of May as an opportune time to incorporate special prayers for peace into traditional May devotions. He urged the faithful to make use of this practice which is "gladdening and consoling" and by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is honoured and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts (no. 2).

In May of 2002, Pope John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a ‘Marian’ month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!"

This is the month in which, in the churches and individual homes, the most affectionate and fervent homage of prayers and devotions from the hearts of Christians are raised to Mary. It is alsothe month in which from his throne descend upon us the most generous and abundant gifts of the Divine Mercy. In our own times, we Catholics, wanting to be close to her always, offer her special presents in May: pilgrimages, visits to churches dedicated to her, little sacrifices in her honour, periods of study and well-finished work offered up to her, and a more attentive recitation of the rosary. For this reason, I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May.

In a moving passage in one of his conferences to mixed audiences, composed of both Protestants and Catholics, Saint John Henry Newman wrote: "The Church gives us Jesus Christ for our food, and Mary for our nursing mother. Prove to the world that you are following no false teaching, vindicate the glory of your mother Mary, whom the world blasphemes, in the very face of the world, by the simplicity of your own deportment, and the sanctity of your words and deeds. Go to her for the royal heart of innocence. She is the beautiful gift of God, which outshines the fascination of a bad world, and which no one ever sought in sincerity and was disappointed. She is the personal type and representative image of the spiritual life and renovation in grace, without which no one shall see God." This statement of Saint John Henry Newman goes well with the famous Latin dictum Ad Iesum per Mariam which means "Through Mary to Jesus".

How shall we celebrate this May, Mary’s Month? Ways to celebrate holy Mary’s Month family devotions are many: Marian devotions can take place within the family, around a "May Altar" consisting of a table with a Marian picture or a Statue of Our Lady decorated with many flowers and the family would pray together. May altars and crowningsaren’t just "church" things. We can and should be doing the same in our homes. When we echo the customs and traditions of the Church in our homes - our domestic churches - we participate more fully in the life of the Church. Additionally, it’s a longstanding tradition to crown the statue of Mary during May - a custom known as May Crowning. Often, the crown is made of beautiful blossoms representing Mary’s beauty and virtue. It’s also a reminder to the faithful to strive to imitate our Blessed Mother’s virtue in our own lives. May Crowning, in some areas, is a huge celebration and is usually done outside of Mass, although Mass may be celebrated before or after the actual crowning. I encourage you to please say the rosary at home, especially this month. The Roman Pontiffs have frequently expressed appreciation for the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known. St. Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He "proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment."

At the parish level, we can join our parish for the following Marian Devotions in the Church in the month of May: We can recite the rosary on weekdays after morning Mass. Eight-Day Novena after Mass from 24th May could be conducted. A Feast Day Mass and Novena in honour of Our Lady on 31st May could be celebrated. On this day in a "Moment of Marian Prayers", we can pray in a special way that the People of God become aware of the importance of the process underway of the XVI ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and its celebration bring desired fruits to the Church.

Devotion to Mary is an important part of the Catholic identity. As our mother, she is an example of a committed "Yes" to the will of God. Because of their devotion to her, many people ask her for help in the most difficult moments of their life as any child does with his mother. In our observance of the Marian month, we should take into account the season of the Liturgical Year which largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter. Our pious exercises could emphasize Our Lady’s participation in the Paschal mystery and in Pentecost with which the Church begins. The pious exercises connected with the month of May can easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

May our Blessed Mother protect us in her maternal mantle. May this Mary’s Month bring God’s blessings and her motherly protection to all of us.

Yours devotedly in Our Lord,

+ Most.Rev. S. Antonysamy
Bishop of Palayamkottai