The crowning of Mary during the month of May used to be a parish tradition, writes Clare Lazzuri, but parents can still have ceremonies in their own home. (CNS file photo, Tom McCarthy Jr.)
Ahhh, May. The month when spring should be in full bloom.
Boots are traded for sneakers. Everyone wants to be outside more. Cottages are
being prepped for summer. Gardeners are tilling the soil and planting seeds.
There’s a Monday holiday to look forward to, and Mother’s Day of course.
And then there’s me, standing on a soccer field, warm beverage in hand, shivering in a winter coat, hat and mitts.
Such is spring for many Canadians. But for us Catholics, the month of May has the promise of something much more lasting than crazy temperature fluctuations and black flies. May is traditionally known in the Church as the month of Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary is so integral to our faith story that she gets a whole month dedicated to her honour.
I don’t know about any other Catholic moms out there, but most days, I don’t feel very Mary-like. Some days the best I can do is aim for Elizabeth status – open my arms, recognize my neediness and let Mary come to my aid.
On May 31, we celebrate that famous meeting of moms, also known as the Visitation, or the second mystery of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Elizabeth was in her hour of need. We don’t know exactly how old she was when she was expecting St. John the Baptist, but in Chapter 1 of his Gospel, St. Luke tells us that Elizabeth (and Zechariah) “were advanced in years.”
This special moment between two expectant mothers leads to a prayer that, as Catholics, we rely on our whole lives. When St. Elizabeth, “in her sixth month,” sees her young cousin approach, she recognizes the presence of her Lord and something supernatural happens to the child in her womb. The Church teaches us that at this moment St. John the Baptist, in utero, was cleansed of original sin. Then the elder cousin offers those familiar words: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
How many of us have said countless Hail Marys in times of trouble, in gratitude, during Rosaries, for comfort, begging help for someone in distress, and even in hopes of making time pass quicker on a chilly soccer field?
But we can’t take for granted that our kids will learn the Hail Mary, or any other of our faith traditions. If we don’t make it a priority it’s not going to happen automatically. I was at a youth event recently which involved Catholic teenagers who had to search around a church for various Catholic items and more than a few had no idea what a rosary was and at least one could not identify a statue of Mary. I don’t think it’s reaching to say that asking them to recite a Hail Mary might have proved difficult.
At one time, knowing the Hail Mary and recognizing a rosary would have been a cultural given in many communities in Canada. This is obviously not the case anymore, and as parents the onus is on us to teach these primary facets of the faith to our children.
Make the most of the month of Mary for your kids. If you are not used to saying a family Rosary, at least say one Hail Mary together as a family every day this month. Perhaps this could build up to saying a family Rosary on the Feast of the Visitation on the last day of the month.
May crownings used to be a given in most parishes as well. There are parishes and Catholic schools who still do these processions with a statue of Mary, singing hymns, reciting prayers, and finally crowning the head of Mary with fresh flowers. In many communities throughout the world, these processions are huge and are often accompanied by large, festive celebrations.
If your parish doesn’t have a May crowning, consider doing your own at home with your own statue of Mary, which can be large or small. You can simplify this for young children, having each child say a Hail Mary followed by a Litany of Mary led by Mom or Dad, or a family Rosary. A few Marian hymns should round out the celebration.
Let Mary into your home this May. Don’t let her be a stranger to your family. Get to know her in your daily life – in your kitchen and your laundry room, at your dinner table, at bedtime prayers, and on the soccer field. Open your arms to her. She comes to us like she came to Elizabeth, bearing Jesus.
Lazzuri, a wife and mother of six, writes from her home in Nova Scotia.