With the coming of the month of May and our weather finally beginning to be more like spring than winter, we celebrate this month which, by long custom, has been dedicated to the Blessed Mother. In many ways, the month of May represents springtime because of the weather changing, plants and crops being planted and beginning to grow, and the mix of rain and sunshine washing away the snow, cold, grit and grime of winter.
However, for us and while all that I just said is true, the dedicating of May to Our Blessed Mother should remind us of what happened on that first Easter Sunday when Jesus, crucified, arose from the dead and brought a truly spiritual springtime to the world. Everything He said in this life came to pass and His death and resurrection washed away the cold, grit and grime of sin which had held us in a frozen prison since Adam and Eve rebelled and disobeyed the Lord God.
This May, due to the date of Easter, we celebrate not just much of the Easter Season, but we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Solemnity of Pentecost. We should know well what these two solemnities represent for us personally and as members of the Catholic Church. However, what is not always noticed but is important for us are the two feasts which begin and end the month, May 1 is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and May 31 is the Feast of the Visitation.
The Church intentionally honors St. Joseph who is the patron saint of workers and thus reminds us of the dignity of work in all its forms but also reminds us to work in imitation of St. Joseph. If we do so then we give that good example of honesty and dedication which inspires others. The Church intentionally honors the Blessed Mother by commemorating her visit to her elderly cousin St. Elizabeth just after the Annunciation to assist her with the birth of St. John the Baptist. The Church holds her up to us as the model of the New Evangelization. She brings Jesus to the everyday life of St. Elizabeth, and it is an act of charity. We are to do the same in our daily lives.
The month of May has several memorials and feasts of the saints from every age of the Church, and I encourage you to go to Mass on these days and read of the lives of these saints. We are all in communion with them and they assist us with their prayers and have given us an example to follow. This month, I have the great privilege to ordain to the transitional diaconate two of our seminarians who will then begin their final year of seminary and formation prior to being ordained priests in June 2024.
Enjoy this beautiful month and continue to live in the light of the Risen Lord.