MAY 2015: MONTH OF OUR LADY, OUR MOTHER

May is honored as the month of Our Lady; it is also the month honoring mothers. The Lady honored is Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ. At Jesus' crucifixion, He gave her to His beloved disciple, John: "Behold your Mother; woman, behold your son."  In this moment, Mary became the mother of all mankind. This is why Jesus called his mom, "woman". He wanted to emphasize that she is the new Eve and the woman referenced in Revelation-- which was written by St. John. St. John clearly saw Mary as the woman that fulfills the prophecy in Genesis.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."  Genesis 3:15

"A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” -- Revelations 12: 1-5

Through her yes to God, she became co-Mediatrix for the salvation of the world.  This month Catholics honor her yes, "Mary's Fiat". (See https://www.rosarymart.com/favorite-prayers-to-our-lady.html for popular devotions to Our Lady, our Mother, Mary.)

Dates in BOLD are Holy Days of Obligation:

May 1: St. Marculf

May 2: St. Athanasius

May 3: St. James the Lesser

May  4: St. Florian

May  5: St. Hilary of Arles

May 6: Bl. Edward Jones

May 7: St. Rose Venerini

May 8: St. Peter of Tarantaise

May 9: St. Pachomius

May 10: St. Solange

May 11: St. Ignatius of Laconi

May 12: Sts. Nereus & Achilleus

May 13: St. John the Silent

May 14: Ascension Day

May 15: St. Dymphna

May 16: St. Simon Stock

May 17: St. Paschal Baylon

May 18: St. Pope John I

May 19: St. Celestine

May 20: St. Bernardine of Siena

May 21: St. Eugene de Mazenod

May 22: St. Rita

May 23: St. John Baptist Rossi

May 24: Pentecost

May 25: St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

May 26: St. Philip Neri

May 27: St. Augustine of Canterbury

May 28: Bl. Margaret Pole

May 29:  St. Maximinus of Trier

May 30: St. Joan of Arc

May 31: Trinity Sunday