Last week we celebrated a very special day for all mothers. At one of the Masses at my parish we invited all the men to come forward to recite a beautiful poem together. Afterwards the men presented a copy of this poem about the beauty of motherhood to their mothers or wives. During the month of May we not only give thanks to God for our mothers and other significant women in our lives, but also traditionally dedicate the whole month to our heavenly mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. On Sunday morning after praying the rosary, over one hundred children left flowers at the statue of the Blessed Mother outside the parish church.
The Virgin Mary was chosen among women to be the Mother of God. She is a model of the beauty and sacrifice which is motherhood. As mothers nurture their children and selflessly give of themselves for them, Mary accepted with great joy the message of Gabriel and nurtured the child who is God made man in her womb. She gave her life without reserve for the sake of her Son, even though it meant that a sword would pierce her heart.
Throughout the centuries, the maternal presence of the Virgin Mary has inspired and consoled Christians in time of trial and tribulation. Her constant prayer and protection has led millions who recognize her as blessed to know Christ her Son.
When in 1531 the Virgin Mary appeared to the indigenous Saint Juan Diego in Mexico, she said to him, “Am I not here, I, who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”
Recognizing the Virgin Mary’s constant maternal protection, the One Life, One Rose Program of the Knights of Columbus turns to Our Lady of Guadalupe asking for her prayers and intercession so the sanctity of all human life may be respected and upheld. Four silver roses travel each year from Canada to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City visiting parishes and providing an opportunity of prayer with the Mother of God for the respect of human life. One Silver Rose will arrive to our diocese on May 26th and travel throughout parishes in the diocese as it makes its way from South Carolina to Florida. All are invited to attend the transfer of the Silver Rose at Saint Joseph Parish in Augusta at 5:30pm on Sunday May 26th. A Rosary will be prayed followed by a bilingual Mass with Bishop Hartmayer presiding. As Our Lady of Guadalupe confirmed her true presence to the bishop of Mexico by making roses of Castille bloom in winter, the Silver Rose will remind us throughout the diocese of Mary’s ever-present maternal love and protection.
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