Spiritual Theme of the Week
Theme (w/c 29th April 2024): May, month of Mary
This week’s worship gives us an opportunity to think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The church has a special prayer of praise for Mary, asking for her support. Although it is particularly dear to Roman Catholics, many Christians of other denominations also like to pray it too.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
This week marks the start of May. Wednesday is 1st May, known as ‘May Day’, which is usually associated with the blossoming of spring.
Why is May associated with Mary?
May is the time when spring is at the height of its beauty. Spring is the season when nature is renewing itself. This is a reflection of how Mary gave new life to the world when she gave birth to our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
May is therefore a wonderful time to reflect on the life and offering of Mary.
Days of celebration, the marking of the passage of time, birthdays, anniversaries and days of remembrance are all important to us, both in marking our own journey through life and also in understanding our place within the wider world and our sense of belonging within particular communities.
This video reminds us of why Catholics honour Mary:
This records a vision of Mary to a nun in France many years ago. In the vision, Mary was shedding light around the globe.
One of the practices which is particularly associated with Mary is the praying of the rosary. This is an ancient way to pray.
The rosary consists of 5 sets of 10 small beads (a ‘decade’) separated by a larger bead:
Each decade also suggests a particular topic or ‘mystery’ to pray for.
The rosary is a particularly Catholic way of praying, but Christians of many denominations have found it helpful to use prayer beads or crosses while they pray, including:
- Your hands and mind are kept busy by touching the beads, so are less likely to be distracted
- The physical action of taking up the beads and going through them one by one makes you take time out to pray.
- You can decide who or what each bead will represent for you to prompt you in your prayers
- Some beads might represent silence – as you reach these beads you allow yourself to sit in silence to listen to God.
If you would like to have a go at making a prayer bracelet, ask the school Chaplain, who can help.
Prayer
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
