May 3, 2025

The month of May holds a special place in the heart of the Church. It is a time when blossoms begin to unfold, the earth comes alive with color and fragrance, and so too does our devotion to Mary, the Mother of God and our mother. For centuries, May has been set aside as Mary’s month, a time of renewed honor and love for the one who gave her wholehearted “yes” to God and brought Christ into the world.

In the words of Pope Paul VI, “This is the month during which Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration. And it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”

Throughout May, many Catholics around the world take part in May Crownings, pray the Rosary with greater devotion, and place flowers at images of Mary. These outward signs reflect an interior truth: Mary always leads us to her Son. Her presence is not passive or distant; she actively intercedes, gently guides, and teaches us to trust, as she did, in the promises of God.

Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus. She is our mother, too. From the Cross, Jesus gave her to us with the words: “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). And so, in our joys and our sorrows, in our work and in our rest, we can turn to her with confidence. She knows the heart of a mother, the weariness of labor, the sting of sorrow, and the joy of faith.

During this month of May, may we draw closer to her. Let us entrust our families, our Church, and our own hearts to her care. Let us ask her to form us into better disciples of her Son. And let us repeat with childlike devotion the ancient prayer of the Church:

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”