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May, 2011 - Overview for the Month
The month of May is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Easter, which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored).
General: That those who work in the media may always respect truth, solidarity and the dignity of each person. Missionary: That the Lord may grant the Church in China the capacity to persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and to grow in unity. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net) The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of May are:
The Gospel readings for all the Sundays in May are taken from St. John and St. Luke and are from Year A, Cycle 1.
The saints that we will focus on this month — those who have already shared in the rewards of the Resurrection — are St. Athanasius (May 2), Sts. Philip and James (May 3), Our Lady of Fatima (May 13), St. Matthias (May 14), St. John I (May 18), St. Bernadine of Siena (May 20), St. Christopher Magallanes (May 21),St. Bede, St. Gregory VII and St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (May 25), St. Philip Neri (May 26) and St. Augustine of Canterbury (May 27) and the Visitation (May 31). The feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), St. Isidore the Farmer (May 15) and St. Rita of Cascia (May 22), falls on a Sunday, so it is suppressed this year. The Solemnity of the Ascension (June 2) is celebrated on May 29 (Sunday) in most dioceses in the United States.
"The month of May, with its profusion of blooms was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a celebration of the flowering of Mary's maidenly spirituality…With its origins in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah under the figure of the Blossoming Rod or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by the Church Fathers, and in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures of the Sapiential Books-Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach. "In the medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth, as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made flesh,' and depicted in the central rose windows of the great gothic cathedrals-from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.' Also, in the medieval period, when monasteries were the centers of horticultural and agricultural knowledge, and with the spread of the Fransiscan love of nature, the actual flowers themselves, of the fields, waysides and gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary…" – John S. Stokes
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 Who is
she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright
as the sun?
Highlights
May 1
Ascension  The
whole universe is invited to acclaim the glories of the Ascending
Christ. He is surrounded with the just of Limbo, with the souls
who had finished their purgatorial expiation and probably with the
saints who came out of their tombs on Easter Sunday: "Ascending
on high He has led captivity captive". To celebrate Pentecost try this delicious moist
cake, inexpensive and easy to make. It is served with a strawberry
frosting.
Construct this Pentecost wheel to remind children
of the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. After constructing
the wheel, begin using it seven days before Pentecost, discussing
a gift of the Holy Spirit each night.
Symbols
It was to St. Philip that Christ addressed
his remark concerning the feeding of the multitude. The roundels
represent two loaves of bread.
This symbol refers to the tradition that St.
James was cast down from a pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem,
stoned and sawn asunder by the Jews.
Chosen, by lot, to replace Judas Iscariot,
St. Matthias served as a missionary in Judaea, where he is said
to have been stoned and beheaded. A battle axe with silver head
and tawny handle, white open book with inscription "super
Mathiam".
The fleur-de-lys is a symbol for
the Blessed Virgin Mary and is derived from the Madonna's lily.
 You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people!
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As
Spring blossoms forth and we are surrounded by new life, we spend
this month full of the joy of our Easter celebration and in anticipation
of the coming of the Holy Spirit, our Consoler and Advocate.
The
world is resplendent with Spring's increased light and new growth.
It is Mary’s month in the Easter season and all of nature
rejoices with the Queen of heaven at the Resurrection of the Son
she was worthy to bear. During the remainder of Easter time, let
us endeavor through the prayers of the Holy Liturgy and the Holy
Rosary to deepen our gratitude for the mystery of our Baptismal
rebirth in Christ.
"In
the hierarchy of holiness it is precisely the 'woman', Mary
of Nazareth, who is the 'figure' of the Church. She 'precedes'
everyone on the path to holiness; in her person 'the Church
has already reached that perfection whereby she exists without
spot or wrinkle'". — JOHN PAUL II Mulieris Dignitatem,
1988
