Jubilee Year of Saint Francis on the 800th Anniversary of His Death
May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
OUR LADY, QUEEN AND MOTHER,
OUR LADY, STAR OF THE SEA,
MOTHER ADMIRABLE,
MOTHER OF HOPE,
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI,
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
PRAY FOR US.
Welcome to May, the month dedicated to Our Lady. Still in the Easter Season, here's to hoping you are still singing your favorite Easter hymn, or mine, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia ..." 🎵
It's a big month, dear faithful readers. What can be better than kicking off the festivities with today, May 1, when we commemorate Saint Joseph the Worker. Saint Joseph, model of workers, man of strength, man of courage, pray for us! Thank you. We celebrate Mother's Day on May 10 so let us rejoice. Thank a mother today for all she is and for all she does. Give God the praise for mothers! Our Lady, Queen of mothers, pray for us! Thank you.
Depending on where you are in the world, we celebrate The Ascension of the Lord, either on Thursday, May 14, or Sunday, May 17. Next up is Pentecost Sunday set for May 24. And if that isn't enough, the next day, Monday, May 25, is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. It was Pope Saint Paul VI, who solemnly confirmed the title, Mother of the Church, in an address to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council on November 21, 1964. The Pontiff decreed that the whole Christian people should, by the use of this beautiful title, give still greater honor to the Mother of God. And a beautiful title for Our Lady it is. Speaking of titles for Our Lady, why not take a look at the Litany to Mary and select a few of your favorite titles. Then, address Mary using the titles. As I say, go to Mary, she knows what to do. One of my favorite titles is Star of the Sea. Indeed, Our Lady is a star that will guide us, especially when we go astray. For never was it known that she left anyone unaided.
In this glorious month of May when we turn our minds and hearts to blessed Mary, Our Lady, she, who said to the angel Gabriel, "Let it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38), and she, who "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (Lk 2:19), we might also reflect on our particular vocations* our call from the Lord, to love Him and serve Him. No matter our state in life, be it married, single, widow, religious or priest, we remember words from our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, given in his March 16, 2026, Message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer, celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2026:
A vocation is not a fixed point, but a dynamic process of maturation sustained by intimacy with our Lord. To grow in one's vocation means being with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to act in our hearts and in the circumstances of life, and reinterpreting everything in light of this gift ...
a vocation, therefore, is not an immediate possession-something 'given' once and for all. Instead, it is a path that unfolds much like life itself. The gift we receive must not only be protected but also nourished by a daily relationship with God in order to grow and bear fruit. 'This is helpful, since it situates our whole life in relation to the God who loves us. It makes us realize that nothing is the result of pure chance but that everything in our lives can become a way of responding to the Lord, who has a wonderful plan for us' (Pope Francis, Christus vivit, 248).
One last thought, on May 30, we commemorate the great Saint Joan of Arc (d. 1431). With her in mind when you are looking for a parking place, turn to the Maid of Orleans and pray, "Saint Joan of Arc, show me a place to park." Joan knows what to do. And if for some reason or another, Joan is busy helping someone else, which is highly unlikely since she can manage quite a few things at once, you can turn to Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) and pray, "Mother Cabrini, help me park the macchini." Keep going with inspiration from the following voices ...
Belief is certainty that God has shown Himself and has opened for us the view of truth itself.
(Pope Benedict XVI, 1927-2022)
Jesus says to each one of us, no matter where we are, "The path I have for you is simple enough for a child to follow. When we know we are loved as His very own, the Lord's way is wholly uncomplicated.
(Sister Faustina Maria Pia, S.V., member of the Sisters of Life)
Here we join Saint Faustina Kowalska in her words ...
I feel tremendous pain when I see the sufferings of my neighbors. All my neighbors' sufferings reverberate in my own heart; I carry their anguish in my heart is such a way that it even physically destroys me. I would like all their sorrows to fall upon me, on order to relieve my neighbor.
(Saint Faustina Kowalska, 1905-1938)
And then invoke Our Lady ...
Mother of Mercy,
pray for us.
We must contain ourselves in patience, remembering each morning that our main job is to love God and to serve Him and if we don't get things done due to interruptions, well, it cannot be helped, and God will take care of what we leave undone. Saint Teresa says that God cannot rest in an unquiet heart. I have to remember that many times during the day.
(Servant of God Dorothy Day, 1897-1980)
Humility is not self-contempt but the truth about ourselves couples with a reverence for others; it is self-surrender to the highest goal.
(Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1975)
Think ... of how we first came into being, of what we were at the first moment of our existence. Think of the dark tomb out of which our Creator brought us into His world where He had His gifts prepared for us even before we were born. All this we owe to Him and for everything we must give Him thanks. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement, pope, late 1st century)
We ought to be like the sunflower which follows all the
movements of the sun and ever turns toward it.
(Saint Julie Billiart, 1751-1816)
Let us endure with courage the painful little experiences that Divine Providence allows to befall us. They are a necessary part of every life, and force us to place all our trust in God, for He alone can support and guide us.
(Saint Julie Billiart, 1751-1816)
The whole purpose of our lives is to be for others what Mary was for her Son on Calvary.
(Venerable Mary Potter, 1847-1913)
I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen-not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
(C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963)
Let us be inspired by the beauty of love; let us become witnesses to the love that Jesus has given us and taught us! Let us show every day that it is beautiful to love-that the greatest joys, in every situation, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need. The light of charity, nurtured in our homes and lived out in faith can truly transform the world.
(Pope Leo XIV, April 22, 2026, address to young people and families, Bata, Equatorial Guinea)
God has established as a law that His graces should flow to us through channels of prayer and the Sacraments; and they are so united that the performance of one is a preparation for the other. Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian, but its growth depends entirely on the care we take to nourish and cultivate it; if neglected, it will die; if nourished by constant practice, it will blossom and produce fruit in abundance ...
(Venerable Catherine McAuley, R.S.M., 1778-1841)
I want creation to penetrate you with so admiration that everywhere, wherever you may be, the least plant may bring you to the clear remembrance of the Creator.
(Saint Basil the Great, 330-379)
Here are the last words of Blessed Maria Guggiari Echeverria (1925-1959), spoken at 4:10 am, April 28, 1959, as "she was dying, propped up on cushions, and surrounded by her siblings and parents, she sat up and spoke" them. They are fitting words to end each and every day ...
Jesus, I love you! What a sweet encounter! O Virgin Mary!
SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER,
SERVANT OF GOD TAKASHI NAGAI,
SAINT ATHANASIUS, BISHOP, DOCTOR,
SAINT PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES,
THE ENGLISH MARTYRS,
BLESSED MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS,
SAINT CONLETH,
THE BEATIFIED MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES,
SAINT JOSE MARIA RUBIO,
BLESSED ANGEL PRAT HOSTENCH AND COMPANIONS,
BLESSED EMILY BICCHIERI, OP,
SAINT ASAPH,
BLESSED EDMUND RICE,
SAINT RICHARD REYNOLDS,
SAINT ANGELUS,
SAINT FRANCOIS DE LAVAL,
SAINT JOHN OF BEVERLEY,
BLESSED ALBERT OF BERGAMO, OP,
BLESSED CATHERINE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE,
BLESSED JOHN SULLIVAN,
BLESSED ALOYSIUS RABATA,
SAINT GEORGE PRECA,
SAINT DAMIEN OF MOLOKAI,
SAINT JOHN OF AVILA,
SAINT COMGALL,
SAINT ANTONIUS OF FLORENCE, OP,
THE CARTHUSIAN MARTYRS,
SAINT NEREUS AND ACHILLEUS, MARTYRS,
SAINT PANCRAS, MARTYR,
SAINT JOHN HOUGHTON AND COMPANIONS,
BLESSED JANE OF PORTUGAL, OP,
BLESSED JOAN, PRINCESS OF PORTUGAL,
OUR LADY OF FATIMA,
SAINT ERCONWALD,
BLESSED IMELDA LAMBERTINI, OP,
SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE,
SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER,
SAINT CARTHAGE,
BLESSED ANDREW ABELLON, OP,
BLESSED GILES OF VAOZELA, OP,
SAINT SIMON STOCK,
SAINT BRENDAN,
SAINT JOHN STONE,
POPE SAINT JOHN I, MARTYR,
SAINT ERIK OF SWEDEN,
SAINT DUNSTAN,
SAINT MILBURGA,
SAINT IVO OR YVES,
SAINT RAPHAEL LOUIS RAFIRINGA,
SAINT FRANCIS COLL GUITART, OP,
SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA, PRIEST,
BLESSED COLUMBA OF RIETI, OP,
SAINT CHRISTOPHER MAGALLANES AND HIS COMPANIONS,
SAINT EUGENE DE MAZENOD,
SAINT RITA OF CASCIA,
SAINT JOACHINE DE VEDRUNA DE MAS,
OUR LADY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS,
BLESSED LOUIS-ZEPHIRIN MOREAU,
SAINT ALDHELM,
SAINT DOMINIC,
MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH,
POPE SAINT GREGORY VII,
SAINT MARY MAGDALAN OF PAZZI,
SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE,
SAINT PHILIP NERI, PRIEST,
SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY, BISHOP,
BLESSED ANDREW FRANCHI, OP,
BLESSED MARGARET POLE, COUNTESS OF SALISBURY,
BLESSED MARY BARTHOLOMEW BAGNESI, OP,
POPE SAINT PAUL VI,
BLESSED JOSEPH GERARD,
SAINT URSULA LEDOCHOWSKA,
BLESSED ELIA OF SAINT CLEMENT,
BLESSED WILLIAM ARNAUD, OP, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS,
SAINT ZDZISALAWA OF LEMBERK, OP,
SAINT LUKE KIRBY,
THE YORKSHIRE MARTRYS,
SAINT JOAN OF ARC,
SAINT WALSTAN,
PRAY FOR US.
* Vocation comes from the Latin vocare, "to call".
This month's photo: A major Ohhhh Ahhh. 😊
Praise Him in the heights.
© Gertrude Feick 2026
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