Today begins May, the month dedicated to our spiritual mother, the Virgin Mary

Pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience Aug. 9, 2023, hold up an image of the Virgin Mary. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 1, 2024 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

May will always be a special month, the month that the Church dedicates to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and our mother.

The month that begins today is just the right time to renew the love that all of us who are baptized ought to profess for the woman whom God chose — from eternity — to be the earthly mother of his Son, Jesus Christ, the word made flesh for the redemption of the human race. 

How can we not turn our gaze toward her, who looks at us with sweetness and compassion! It’s no coincidence that the Son of God wanted to grow up in the warmth of a mother like Mary and receive her loving care.

Let’s live this month ever close to Mary

In the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. By virtue of her role to be the mother of the Son of God by divine election, she was conceived immaculately — i.e., without the stain of original sin — and by fidelity to her son, she has been crowned queen of heaven and earth. 

Everything Mary said and did leads to Christ. Who knows a child better than a mother? What good and noble child does not know his or her mother or love her with all his or her heart?

You would have to be a little or very foolish not to let yourself be embraced by that loving mother whom Jesus gave us. Consequently, how could we not dedicate some time to get to know her better and improve our relationship with her, who knew and loved Jesus like no one else on earth? And, let us not forget — she loves each of her children, human beings, with similar affection and tenderness.

The Church, in her wisdom, asks her children to be especially devoted to Mother Mary during this month and to be particularly grateful for all of her care.

A model for every Christian

Another aspect to consider and meditate on is that Mary, the most humble of all women, is a model for everyone, today, in the here and now. She is a model in a particular way for each woman, as expressed by Pope Francis. 

“There is only one model for you, Mary: the woman of fidelity, the one who did not understand what was happening to her but obeyed. The one who, as soon as she knew what her cousin needed took off (to help her), the Virgin of Promptness. The one who escaped as a refugee in a foreign country to save the life of her son,” Pope Francis said during an April 2014 message to 20,000 young people gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a regional youth day.

The first disciple

Years later, during an Aug. 24, 2021, catechesis, Pope Francis called Mary “the first disciple of Jesus” and reminded us that “Mary is there, praying for us, praying for those who do not pray. Why? Because she is our mother.”

The Virgin, through Jesus, has brought heaven closer to us and her life is the best proof that it is possible to reach it. Pope Francis said it best: “She shows us that heaven is within reach, if we too do not give in to sin, we praise God with humility and we serve others with generosity” (Pope Francis, Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2022). 

A holy month of May for everyone! Let’s walk hand in hand with Mary.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.