Flowers of May or Flores De Mayo is a festival dedicated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated for the whole month of May.

Brief History

The origin of this devotion is still relatively unknown. However, according to Fr. Herbert Thurston, an English Jesuit priest, the earliest instance of this devotion was adopted and witnessed during the 17th century in Italy.

According to Monsignor Frederick Holweck, a German-American priest and church historian, the May devotion in its present form originated in Rome when Father Latomia of the Roman College of the Society of Jesus, to counteract infidelity and immorality among the students, made a vow at the end of the 18th century to devote the month of May to Mary. From Rome, the practice spread to the other Jesuit colleges and thence to nearly every Catholic church of the Latin rite. The tradition of honoring Mary in a month-long May devotion spread eventually around the Roman Catholic world. It reached the Philippines in1865 and was first celebrated in Malolos, Bulacan.

Significance

Why is it important for us?

• This is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration;
• This is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts come down to us from our Mother’s throne.
• We are delighted and consoled by this pious custom associated with the month of May, which pays honor to the Blessed Virgin and brings such rich benefits to the Christian
• Since Mary is rightly to be regarded as the way by which we are led to Christ, the person who encounters Mary cannot help but encounter Christ likewise.
• For what other reason do we continually turn to Mary except to seek the Christ in her arms, to seek our Savior in her, through her, and with her? To Him men are to turn amid the anxieties and perils of this world, urged on by duty and driven by the compelling needs of their heart, to find a haven of salvation, a transcendent fountain of life.

Our devotion is always Christ-Centered, FLORES DE MAYO IS CHRIST-CENTERED

• A Time For Special Prayers.

Because the month of May is a powerful incentive to more frequent and fervent prayers and because our petitions more readily find access to her compassionate heart. In this encyclical, Pope Paul VI also said that,

it has been a favorite custom of his predecessors to choose this month, dedicated to Mary, for urging the Christian people to offer up public prayers whenever the needs of the Church demanded it or some grave crisis threatened the human race.

In our present situation, we experience the beauty and power of this May devotion. In the Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Faithful for the Month of May 2020, he said that the month of May is,

a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.”

For this reason, Pope Francis encourages everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May. He also said, contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial. Pope Francis also provided two prayers to Our Lady that we can recite at the end of the Rosary, that he also prays in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of us.

These two prayers are below:

SECOND PRAYER

“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.

In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.

Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.

Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.

Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.

Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.

Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.

Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.

Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.

Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.

To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.

 

-by Sylvia dela Torre-Bataller

Sources:

The Holy Catholic Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Mense Maio Encyclical of Pope Paul VI
www.vatican.va
www.catholic.com
www.catholic.org
www.udayton.edu
www.cardinaljohnhenrynewman.com
www.aleteia.org
www.salveregina.info
www.wikipedia.org

www.filcatholic.org