Editorial
Draw closer to the
Blessed Mother in May
In the Catholic Church, the month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a time of special devotion honoring her unique role in salvation history and her motherly intercession for us, her faithful children.
This particular practice reflects the Church’s longstanding veneration of Mary which began in the earliest days of Christian experience and grew through centuries of theological reflection, liturgy and popular piety.
Marian feasts are spread throughout the Church’s liturgical calendar, and there is no shortage of opportunities to honor Mary as the Mother of God (Theotokos in Greek) and our mother.
The month of May, being in springtime, symbolizes new life and renewal. This makes May a fitting month for Marian devotion, which traditionally includes special prayers, the rosary, processions and other popular devotions aimed at our sanctification and drawing us closer to Christ through Mary’s maternal guidance.
If we take this monthlong dedication to Mary seriously, we can intensify our relationship with Mary, who leads us to her Son and comforts us like a mother, nurturing our spiritual life with gentleness and healing. From the beginning of Christian history, the followers of Jesus Christ have believed that Mary points the way to her Son and that by drawing closer to her we can be united more intimately with Jesus.
Mary’s unique role as a loving mother who intercedes with God on behalf of all her children has encouraged many who are devoted to Mary—notably Pope St. John Paul II—to call her “Mediatrix,” a title that suggests Mary participates in the distribution of divine graces on behalf of the whole Church drawing all to her Son, the one Mediator between God and man.
Although sacred Scripture does not explicitly call Mary “Mediatrix,” the Church understands her mediation in a subordinate and participatory sense to the sole mediation of Christ.
By cooperating in a unique way with Christ’s redemptive work, Mary obtains grace for the Church; this role is spiritually effective and ongoing, especially as she continues to intercede for the Church after her Assumption into heaven.
Theologically, Mary is seen as a participant in the distribution of divine grace because she is mother of the incarnate Word and Mother of the Church, making her a central channel through whom grace is dispensed. She is closely bonded with her Son and participates uniquely in the communion of saints on Earth. The Church portrays Mary as the “woman clothed with the sun,” symbolizing the divine radiance who helps us resist temptation, leads us closer to Christ and consoles us like a mother (Rev 12:1).
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary does not require us to explain or defend complex theological concepts. It simply means that we recognize in Mary an extraordinary degree of holiness. She is, after all, “full of grace” (Lk 1:28). And we honor her by making a sincere effort to follow her example saying, as Mary did, “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Intimacy with Mary, our mother, means sharing with her our hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, successes and failures, so that she can comfort us, encourage us and lead us to her Son.
Mary shows us how to find Jesus, especially when we have lost our way. And when we have found him, Mary tells us the same thing she said to the servants at the wedding feast in Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).
Praying the rosary in May—and anytime—deepens our faith by allowing us to make a contemplative journey into the mysteries of Christ’s life through Mary’s motherly presence, fostering peace, spiritual consolation, moral renewal and a closer relationship with Christ and the Church.
In addition, the fruitful practice of praying the rosary during May enhances our broader understanding of Marian spirituality, emphasizing Mary’s role as our mother, a model of purity, and our intercessor and queen in God’s plan of salvation. The holy rosary grounds us in the lived reality of Jesus’ life and in Mary’s unique participation in it, providing a lifetime of contemplative opportunity that can enrich daily spiritual life.
The Church invites us in the month of May to increase our devotion to Mary, and so to grow in holiness. Let’s take advantage of this great gift. Let’s turn to Mary by seeking out the nearest Marian shrine, by inviting our Blessed Mother to walk with us through the 31 days of this special month, and, above all, by frequently praying the rosary.
—Daniel Conway