The month of May holds in respectful pondering the person of Mary, mother of Jesus. Tradition within the Catholic Church has us singing Marian hymns. Some faith communities continue the ritual practice of May crowning. Through the Spirituality Center we are hosting a simple pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, on our monastery grounds, the evening of May 12.
I am confident that there are many reasons as to why Mary holds our hearts in grateful wonder. We need only to search out the Scriptures or the many litanies written and prayed over the years to see that Mary has deeply touched the human heart, the human experience of God with us.
Holy is Mary, as a young Jewish woman of faith, her heart is open to the wondrous mystery of call. Echoing within her are the words you are chosen … blessed are you among women… Mary engages the messenger with a question, how can this be? The dialogue keeps Mary attentive as well as receptive to God acting in her life. In the exchange of promise Mary gives her fiat, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) And from this faith-filled response “the world is about to turn.” (Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney)
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us:
In the poverty of our spirit
In the cry of the suffering
In the ache of human longing
In the desire to be bearers of life
In the hope that the world will turn towards your Son, Jesus the Christ
I am confident that there are many reasons as to why Mary holds our hearts in grateful wonder. We need only to search out the Scriptures or the many litanies written and prayed over the years to see that Mary has deeply touched the human heart, the human experience of God with us.
Holy is Mary, as a young Jewish woman of faith, her heart is open to the wondrous mystery of call. Echoing within her are the words you are chosen … blessed are you among women… Mary engages the messenger with a question, how can this be? The dialogue keeps Mary attentive as well as receptive to God acting in her life. In the exchange of promise Mary gives her fiat, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) And from this faith-filled response “the world is about to turn.” (Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney)
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us:
In the poverty of our spirit
In the cry of the suffering
In the ache of human longing
In the desire to be bearers of life
In the hope that the world will turn towards your Son, Jesus the Christ
(Painting, The Annunciation made in Paris, France 1898, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1859-1937. purchased by the Philadelphia Museum of Art)
I saw my first "May Crowning" in 30 years. Old ritual - new wonder! I love how you end the blog with a poem/litany. Lovely...
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