During the middle ages, May day celebrations, honoring new life, became associated with Mary. The May Hawthorn, which bears white blossoms in early spring became known as  Mary’s Flower of May. In earlier times “bringing in the May”, the “May” being the flowering branches of any tree in bloom on the first of May, was the custom on the first of May in England and parts of Scotland.

The faithful saw Mary’s attributes in the herbs and flowers growing around them and named many plants after her. Legends about the flowers developed as people sought to connect them with event’s in Mary’s life.

Mary was associated with this passage from the Song of Song’s (2:1)

I am the Rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys.

Roses and lilies became Mary’s flowers. A legend from the second century says that when Mary’s tomb was opened to show Thomas that her body had been assumed into heaven, it was filled with these flowers. The Venerable Bede (673-735) compared Our Lady to the lily ,

. . . . the white petals signifying her bodily purity, the golden anthers the glowing light of her soul. . . .

The Madonna lily was associated with the Annunciation and lilies are often depicted in scenes of the angels visit to Mary.

Tradition tells us that the Amazon lily was the Star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi to Jesus. Other lilies were associated  with Mary. The red lily was Mary’s lily and the Martagon or turban lily was called Our Lady’s Tears. Hosta or plantain lily was the Assumption lily.

Rose legends proliferated, reaching their peak in the twelfth century. The Rosa Alba turned pink when mary blushed at the angel’s annunciation, the Christmas Rose sprang up to provide flowers for the poor shepherd girl who had no gift for the Infant Jesus, the Rose of Jericho marked the spot where the Holy Family rested during their Flight into Egypt, and the Rose Campion saved the life of a lord who prayed “Our Lady’s psalter.”

In the fourteenth century the poet Dante called Mary “the Rose, in which the divine Word became flesh. . . ” Many artists of the fifteenth century painted Mary with roses, often in a rose garden.

We can honor Mary this month by recalling the attributes of Mary called out by flowers and herbs named after her. The flowers can serve as starting points for prayer and meditation about Mary and her life.

Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth  heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: “Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb. But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? The moment of your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leapt in my womb for joy. “Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:39-45)

St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. On January 6, 1412, Joan of Arc was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at the obscure village of Domremy, near the province of Lorraine. At a very early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret.

At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices “of St. Michael, St. Catherine , and St. Margaret” told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer the kingdom. For at that time, the English king was after the throne of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival  of the French king, was siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory.

After overcoming opposition from churchmen and courtiers, the seventeen year old girl was given a  small army with which she raised the seige of Orleans on May 8, 1429. She then enjoyed  series of spectacular military successes, during which the King was able to enter Rheims and be crowned with her at his side.

On May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Compiegne she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of  Beauvais, who hoped that the English would help him to become archbishop.

Through her unfamiliarity with technicalities of theology, Joan was trapped into making  a few damaging statements. Whe she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she has done, she was condemed to death as a heretic, sorceres and adulteress, and burned at stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and she was   ultimately canonized in 1920, making official  what people  had known for  centuries . Her feast day is  May 30.

 God’s Protection in Times of Trouble

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

I will fear no one.

The Lord protects me from all danger;

I will never be afraid.

When evil men attack me and try to kill me,

they stumble and fall.

Even if a whole army surrounds me,

I will not be afraid;

even if enemies attack me,

I will still trust God.

I have asked the Lord for one thing;

one thing only I do want:

to live in the Lord’s house all my life,

to marvel there at his goodness,

and to ask for his guidance.

In times of trouble he will shelter me;

he will keep me safe in his Temple

and make me secure in a high rock.

So I will triumph  over my enemies around me.

With shouts of joy I will offer

sacrifices in his Temple;

I will sing, I will praise the Lord.

Psalm 27:1-6

Storms of Life

When storms of life are raging

and doubt reaches my way.

remind me of Your  love, Lord,

to keep my fears at bay.

When all I see is failure,

and mountains, hard to climb,

just whisper in my ear, O Lord,

that You are still sublime.

This life may disappoint me

and so may people too,

Lord, show me Your faithfullness

and keep me true to you.

When tears do fill my eyes , Lord,

and I’m seemingly blind,

walk with me, Precious Jesus

and ease my tired mind.

Take me by the hand , Lord,

when roads are washing out.

Provide one with protection,

and keep  me from all doubt.

When I get real tired from

struggling day and night,

hold me tight, dear, Jesus,

Please be may guiding light.

Author Unknown

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy Faithful

and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,

and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Pentecost Prayer

Spirit of Christ, stir me;

Spirit of Christ, move me.

Spirit of Christ , fill me;

Spirit of Christ , seal me.

Consecrate in me Your Heart and Will, O Heavenly Father.

Create in me a fountain of virtues.

Seal my soul as Your own, that Your reflection in me may be a light for all to see.

Amen

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews.  Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this , he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me , so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

John 20:19-23

A Blessed Pentecost to All.

A Prayer in Heaven

Help them Father, for I have tried

freely on the cross I died.

Yet they still don’t follow me,

They grasp the apple from the tree

I asked of them to believe in me

only then will they find eternity.

They turn their backs, and go their way, and put me off to

another day.

For your children, I pray to you,

send your angels to see them through.

Help me Father I do pray

help your children find their way.

Let them open their hearts with care,

Only then will they find me there.

Let their eyes open wide, and see my love that’s inside.

To you father I do pray,  for is near the judgement day.

Amen

Credit for this beautiful poem is given to Angelic Kiss

Christ chose the ordination of priests and bishops be limited to men only. And the Catholic Church has no authority to ordain women to priesthood.  Altar servers are not ordained, thus girls can be altar servers. But there are reasons why altar servers should be limited to boys only :

Boys as altar servers is a good introduction to priesthood. Majority of altar servers do not end up as priests. But this trend can be changed if altar servers are limited to boys only. If girls serve along side with boys, parents and children will not look at altar serving as an introduction to priesthood.

Men and women have different roles in the Church, family and society as stated in the Traditions of the Church and the Scriptures. When boys  serve along side with girls during masses, this contradicts the teachings  of the Church that men and women have different roles in Church, family and society.

The Catholic Church should not adapt the teachings of  the secular society. The secular society teaches that men and women have equal roles in the family and society which is irreconcilable  with the teachings of the Scriptures and the Catholic Church.

The over-use of females in non-ordained roles like lectors, eucharistic ministers, church council members  results in males not seeing religion as a possible vocation, despite the fact that only men can be priests. The use of girls as altar servers furthers undermines the view that men are called by God to be leaders of the Church.