May the Month of Mary

Mary embraces God’s will and freely chooses to cooperate with God’s grace, thereby fulfilling a crucial role in God’s plan of salvation. Throughout the centuries, the Church has turned to the Blessed Virgin in order to come closer to Christ. Many forms of piety toward the Mother of God developed that help bring us closer to her Son. In these devotions to Mary, “while the Mother is honored, the Son, through whom all things have their being and in whom it has pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell, is rightly known, loved and glorified and . . . all His commands are observed.” The Church honors her as the Mother of God, looks to her as a model of perfect discipleship, and asks for her prayers to God on our behalf.

A Prayer for Mothers

All-loving God,
we give you thanks and praise
for mothers young and old.
We pray for young mothers,
who give life and count toes and tend to our every need;
May they be blessed with patience and tenderness
to care for their families and themselves with great joy.
We pray for our own mothers
who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide
in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children
because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving
embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.
We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and
shape us with motherly care and compassion.
We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who
are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory
and nourish us with their love.
Amen.

“Oh Mary, star of the sea, once again we recourse to thee, to find refuge and serenity, to implore your protection and help. Mother of God and our Mother, turn your sweet gaze towards those who face the dangers of the sea everyday to guarantee their families the necessary sustenance for life, to protect the respect of creation, to serve peace between peoples.” – Pope Francis