Family Ties: A Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Happy Easter! The Easter season is flying by, only two more weeks to celebrate the great love shown to us by God. And yet, the Church gives us two great reasons to reflect this week. One great reason for reflection is for St. Mary; there is a long tradition of dedicating the entire month of May to Mary, dating back to the 13 century. Another great reason for reflection is for St. Joseph the Worker - whose solemnity is on May 1, which was officially instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955.
Why the month of May for Mary? May is often the season of the year when spring is in full bloom and we see the height of nature's beauty. Spring is an example of nature renewing itself. God renewed humanity and all of creation when Mary gave new life to the world in giving birth to Jesus. Without Mary giving birth to Jesus, all the events that followed: Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, would not have happened. The month of May is when nature is showing signs of life - the ideal month to honor the woman who gave life to our Savior.
The Roman Martyrology refers to May 1 as the “Memory of St. Joseph the worker, who as a carpenter at Nazareth provided for the needs of Jesus and Mary by his labor, and initiated the Son of God into human work. Therefore, on the day when a holiday in honor of workers is celebrated in many countries, Christian workers venerate him as their exemplar and protector.”
Two of the Church’s greatest witnesses to the faith - St. Mary and St. Joseph are celebrated this month. But what can we do? Here are a couple ideas:
Create a space to pray at home where there is an image of Mary and Joseph.
Take some time to pray the rosary or another deviation to St. Mary.
Connect with your own parents who gave life to you, either by surprising her with a visit, calling her, or visiting her grave in the cemetery.
Bring in donuts and coffee to your job to thank those you work with.
Write a gratitude list of the many jobs you were blessed to have and the fruit that those jobs bore.
Light a candle in church by the statues of Mary or Joseph and seek their intercession.
These are some ideas, but you may have others. In whatever way God is calling you to honor St. Mary during the month of May or St. Joseph during this first week of May, may you do it with love and joy.
In today’s readings, we hear that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and we are to “love one another” (John 15:17). “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:13): Mary and Joseph truly laid down their lives, their dreams, their wills, their plans and their control, for God and for each of us. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). May we go forth in love and joy today and everyday.
