My own mother had a profound and tender devotion to Our Lady, Our Most Blessed Mother! They were best friends, I’m convinced. I would imagine she learned this devotion from her own mother, who learned it from her mother, and even further back. During her childhood, devotions to our Lady were common and popular, for which many hymns were composed in the late 19
th and early 20
th centuries. The most known collection was
The St. Basil Hymnal, which contained almost seventy hymns to our Lady in the 1918 edition, most of them in English. One hymn my mother sang to us was entitled
‘Tis the Month of Our Mother, which, of course, refers to the month of May as a special month of devotion to Mary.
May is indeed the Month of Our Lady, which in no way detracts from our celebration of the Easter season. In fact, quite the opposite. In the
Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy, published by the Vatican in December of 2001 we read in paragraph 191: “since the month of May largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter, the pious exercises practiced at this time could emphasize Our Lady’s participation in the Paschal mystery (cf. John 19, 25-27), and the Pentecost event (cf. Acts 1, 14) with which the Church begins: Our Lady journeys with the Church having shared in the novum of the Resurrection, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The fifty days are also a time for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation and of the mystagogy. The pious exercises connected with the month of May could easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.”
Vatican II in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
Lumen Gentium, of November 21, 1964 solemnly teaches in paragraph 53 the following about the Virgin Mary: “Wherefore she is hailed as pre-eminent and as a wholly unique member of the Church, and as its type and outstanding model in faith and charity. The Catholic Church, taught by the Holy Spirit, honors her with filial affection and devotion as a most beloved mother.”
My mother knew the above in her heart. She wanted her children to love Mary as she did. She taught us how to pray, especially the rosary. She did her best to live a Mary-like life as wife and mother. To her I will always be grateful for this gift. In these few words I encourage you to develop a life-time of true devotion to Mary. Sing her hymns, pray her rosary, pray her litany, and ask for her advice. To Mary we confidently pray: “for never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided (
Memorare).”
On Mother’s Day let us remember our mothers living and deceased.
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
The Rev. Fr. Mark G. Mazza