By Anne Metz
May is a month that the Catholic Church around the world traditionally dedicates to Mary, the Mother of God. Here are a few simple ways that you can honor her this month.
May Crowning
In May, it is common for parishes to hold a May Procession or May Crowning. At this event, parishioners get together to pray and sing and honor Mary by placing a flower crown on a statue of her. We honor Mary with a flower crown to show that she is the Queen of Heaven.
Some parishes also ask the children who recently received their First Communion and Confirmation to come dressed in their finery! If you haven’t been to a May Crowning, find one at a local parish and attend with your family.
You can also create a May Procession at home! If you have a statue at home, great; if not, print out a picture of Mary. Using flowers from your garden, create a flower crown, or put the flowers in a vase to give to Mary.
Since the color for Mary is blue, you can add some touches of blue to your statue or picture, by adding a blue cloth underneath or setting a blue candle next to Mary. Sing a Marian hymn like Salve Regina, Ave Maria, or a musical version of Hail Mary. This can be a fun tradition to do with your family each spring.
Learn a New Prayer
It is a myth that Catholics pray to Mary, but we do honor her and ask her (and the other Saints in Heaven) to pray for us. Mary is a powerful intercessor, and she loves us with a perfect mother’s love.
This May, take the time to learn some new prayers. There are so many beautiful prayers honoring the Mother of our Lord. Here is a list to get you started:
The Rosary
The Memorare
The Magnificat
A Children’s Prayer to Mary
Mary Undoer of Knots
Start a Mary Garden
In most climates, May is a great time to get outside and begin gardening. Why not create a Mary garden in a section of your yard? If you can start with a statue of Mary, then add perennial flowers and plants around the statue. If you don’t have room for a Mary garden, use a small statue and add it to a pot with flowers. Not only will a Mary garden get you and your family outside to enjoy our beautiful Earth, but it will be a great place to have your annual May Crowning.
When she’s not writing about faith, Anne Metz works for Growing Catholics, whose mission is to bring Scripture to all, especially tweens and teens.
