Monsignor Connelly writes that Catholics have a host of reasons to celebrate in May . . .
May is an especially significant month. It’s a month that begs us to recall so many aspects of our nation, our culture and our faith that we hold dear.
Memorial Day prompts all Americans to recall with gratitude the military personnel and others who have secured for this nation the irreplaceable treasures of freedom and peace. Mothers Day annually provides the opportunity to be particularly mindful of women who have shared the precious gift of life, as living mothers are honored and the deceased are prayerfully remembered.
In the Church, the Marian month is often a time for youngsters to receive First Holy Communion, a popular month also to celebrate marriage and other worthy moments in the sacramental life.
We recall and commemorate the saints of the Church on particular solemnities and feast days throughout the liturgical year, and May is no exception. In addition to Our Lady who is especially honored, many holy ancestors in the Catholic faith are highlighted. To review a few:
May 1: Saint Joseph the Worker. May 2: St. Athanasius, bishop and Doctor of the Church. May 3: Sts. Philip and James, apostles. May 10: St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, priest. May 13: Our Lady of Fatima. May 14: St. Matthias, apostle. May 15: St. Isidore the farmer. May 18: St. John I, pope and martyr. May 20: St. Bernardine of Siena, priest. May 22: St. Rita of Cascia, religious. May 25: St. Bede the Venerable, priest and Doctor of the Church. May 25: St. Gregory VII, pope and St. Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi, virgin. May 26: St. Philip Neri, priest. May 27: St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop. May 31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
All the holy men and women of May and the entire communion of saints point the way to Jesus Christ and, from their place in heaven, forever inspire the faithful. It’s providential that a month traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Mother begins with St. Joseph and draws to completion on the Feast of the Visitation.
Consider Mary’s prayer: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Of this initial line of the Magnificat, St. Bede offered in a homily, “With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favors, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.”
Mary’s prayer encourages all who endeavor to grow in faith to be mindful of the favors, the gifts that God lavishly provides. When Mary, the Immaculate handmaid of the Lord, said “yes” to the message of the archangel, she followed the One who bestows universal favors, and the human race would never, ever be the same. Mary trusted in the will of God to the fullest measure: “Blessed are you Mary because you believed that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, citing the teaching from Lumen Gentium, notes, “Thus, giving her consent to God’s word, Mary becomes the mother of Jesus. Espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly, without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son; she did so in order to serve the mystery of redemption with him and dependent on him, by God’s grace” (#494).
Men and women of Legatus, and all who hold the Catholic Church dear, have reason to rejoice in this month of May, with Mary and all the holy ones. Striving daily to fulfill the Pauline mandate to become ambassadors for Christ, Legates rely not on any human power, rather on faith, ever mindful of the power and greatness of God alone.
Saint Bede concluded his reflection on Mary by encouraging all humanity, “When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his savior and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.”
MONSIGNOR CHRISTOPHER D. CONNELLY is the chaplain of Legatus’ Western Massachusetts Chapter and vicar general of the Diocese of Springfield, Mass.