May is a beautiful month. Along with October, it is a transitional month. It is in May that the annual cycle of nature, coming alive during Spring, reaches completion. It is generally a time of blue, sunny skies and generally mild temperatures. A time before the heat of summer begins.
May is a colorful month. A month when nature produces vivid colors: blue sky, green grass and trees, red, white, yellow, purple, and orange flowers. May also feature clear, rushing streams, the snow of winter melting into water. Most years, like this one, most of Mary's month falls during the sacred season of Easter.
It’s odd that the Blessed Virgin Mary has become a stumbling block to Christian unity. She has been venerated in a unique way since the beginning of the Church. An example of this is the Glorious Assumption, which is celebrated each year on 15 August by both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. The major Protestant Reformers- Luther, Calvin, and Cranmer- all continued to venerate our Blessed Mother.
Like praying for the dead, seeking the maternal assistance of holy Mary, Mother of God, is a fundamental Christian practice. How could the woman chosen to give birth to God’s only Begotten Son not somehow stand out? Just as the Son is consubstantial with the Father as to His divinity, through His Blessed Mother, He is consubstantial with us pertaining to His humanity.
Just like I can’t pass up the opportunity to use the words “penultimate” or “juxtapose,” I can’t do a reflection on our Blessed Mother without at least mentioning hyperdulia. It’s a cool word. One reason why some non-Catholic Christians question devotion to Mary is that they mistakenly believe that we worship her.
Commandment one bids us worship God and God alone. In Greek, this is called latria. Far from worshiping the saints, we venerate them. The Greek word for this is dulia. The Blessed Virgin Mary falls into her own special category, one that lands somewhere between latria and dulia. This category does not rise to the level of worship but remains higher than veneration: hyperdulia. The prefix hyper means over, beyond, or even excessive.
So, during the month of Mary, let us rely on her maternal care, asking her to intercede for us daily through her Holy Rosary, during Easter by reciting the Regina Caeli. And by frequent use of her Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided
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