Happy May

 



AVE MARIA

Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In May it is the Blessed Virgin Mary  because the springtime customs of the past are now perfected in their dedication to our Heavenly Mother, the true Queen of Creation. May is the month amongst them all that sparks the most widespread devotion among the faithful and holds particular customs that most months do not. It’s a wonderful idea to honor our Blessed Mother by deciding to do something in Her honor each day of May, especially by praying the rosary! We can also honor Our Lady by planting a Mary garden. This month is also when the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation are widely celebrated, please inspire and pray for those who will be receiving these Sacraments. See the bottom of this post for more Marian resources. May also marks Jewish American Heritage Month, Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month,  Haitian Heritage Month , No Meat May and Mental Health Awareness Month . Finally, keep an eye out for local fundraisers for animal shelters as spring is “kitten season” and shelters become crowded with kittens. Also as the May customs for Christians has replaced some of the cruelty of pagan practices, May is a good month to honor Mary as Queen of Creation by adopting a vegan lifestyle. More About May 

In 2025 until the feast of the Sacred Heart, the Jubilee of the Sacred Heart continues. 

"It is the Blessed Virgin's wish that you should found a Confraternity of the Children of Mary. She will give them many graces. The month of May will be kept with great splendor and Mary will bestow abundant blessings upon them." -St. Catherine Laboure

Daily Reads 

Weather Lore Calendar

Lunar Folklore 

The Flower Moon , Full Moon Folklore ,The Full Moon in Ireland

New Moon- New Moon in Ireland ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡ª 

For more about this months dedications click here and here 


Marian Resources for the Month of May 

Pope Francis' Letter on May 

Litany of Loreto Daily Meditations  (Pages 3-76, Day 7 has two entries, either or both can be read)

Our Blessed Mother for Kids

New Marian Titles 

Mariology Portal 

Marian Artwork 

Marks of True Devotion to Mary

The Glories of Mary (St. Alphonsus) *

A Marian Video Playlist  

Marian Music

See also the "Mary" section of this post, all about our Blessed Mother. 

May Special Days:

May 1st: Mary, Queen of the May (see above)/St. Joseph the Worker (more about St. Joseph here and here) 

A Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker

May 1st also marks the SpongeBob SquarePants Anniversary 

First Friday 

First Saturday 

May 3rd: Saints Phillip and James 

May 4th (Star Wars Day)

Cinco De Mayo

Conclave (Begins May 7th at 10:30 am EST watch Vatican News Media to watch for white smoke to announce the election of a new Pope. Next to the Holy Spirit and Our Lady as Mother of the Church it is good to pray for the intercession for Saints Joseph and Michael as protectors of The Church as well as all canonized Popes and Cardinals and finally St. Catherine of Siena as she influenced the Pope during the Avignon Crisis.)  More about the Papal Conclave. The following times are in EST whereas the Vatican is in CEST. On day one of the Conclave smoke is expected at 1 EST. The next day is 4:30am and 6am then 11am and 1pm. The first morning and afternoon slots are used if a pope is elected, the second if a pope is not elected.

Movies to watch during Conclave (as well as those mentioned in the second link above) are ‘The Two Popes’, ‘Saving Grace’ and ‘The Shoes of the Fisherman’. During this time when the whole world is paying attention to The Catholic Church it is a good time to know our faith, see here for more. See here for prayers following Pope Francis’ death as well as for The Conclave and in thanksgiving for when a new Pope is elected. It also appropriate to pray the ‘Te Deum’.

May 11th: Mother’s Day and Good Shepherd Sunday

May 13th: Our Lady of Fatima

May 14th: St. Matthias 

May 24th: Our Lady Help of Christians

May 26th: Memorial Day

May 29th: Ascension and the Awaiting of the Holy Spirit

May 31st: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 *As with any post, the usage of a link doesn't denote agreement with sentiments that may be found on Catholic sites in regard to sexuality, ecumenism and political views that one may deem regressive. Therefore, while the aforementioned work is beautiful, reference to some cultures and ethnicities are sometimes referred to with outdated and offensive terminology. 



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