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Month of Mary
The
month of May is especially dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
and is aptly called The Month of Mary. For the entire month, the
faithful pays a moving tribute of faith and love to the Queen of
Heaven through fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration
both in church and in the privacy of the home. In this month, too,
the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater
abundance.
The pious practice of honoring Mary during the month of May started
during the end of the 13th century when the Church was able to Christianize
the secular feasts. . In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered
this devotion. The members of the Jesuit Order then popularize the
practice in 1700 to their students at the Roman College and a bit
later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From
there it spread to the whole Church. In Pius VII granted a partial
indulgence and in 1859 Pius IX granted a plenary indulgence for
it. With the complete revision of indulgences in 1966 and the decreased
emphasis on specific indulgences, it no longer carries an indulgence;
however it certainly falls within the category of the First General
Grant of Indulgences.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church and therefore
the example, as well as the guide and inspiration, of everyone who,
in and through the Church, seeks to be the servant of God and man
and the obedient agent of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
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.
The Magisterium recommended the following practices as suggestions
for honoring Our Lady during Her month.
The Regina Coeli
The ecclesial community addresses this antiphon to Mary for the
Resurrection of her Son. It adverts to, and depends on, the invitation
to joy addressed by Gabriel to the Lord's humble servant who was
called to become the Mother of the saving Messiah.
The Rosary
Also called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary is
one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, "the
Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent
recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered
on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their
close association with the Virgin Mother."
Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary
These consist of a long series of invocations to Our Lady, which
follow in a uniform rhythm, thereby creating a stream of prayer
characterized by insistent praise and supplication.
Consecration and Entrustment to Mary
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.
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."
The Brown Scapular and other Scapulars
The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established
between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel,
and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection,
who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful
of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.
Medals
These are witnesses of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy
Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.
The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief
that "they help to remind the faithful of the love of God,
and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary."
The "Akathistos" Hymn
In the Byzantine tradition, one of the oldest and most revered expressions
of Marian devotion is the hymn of the "Akathistos" —
meaning the hymn sung while standing. It is a literary and theological
masterpiece, encapsulating in the form of a prayer, the universally
held Marian belief of the primitive Church.
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“Jesus’
Baptism”