Mary's Month

This week the Church remembers the beatification of Blessed John Paul II. May 1 marked the special day when, one year ago, Pope Benedict XVI had the unique opportunity to beatify his beloved predecessor.

The ceremony was planned to coincide with the Second Sunday of Easter, or “Divine Mercy Sunday.” We’ve written here before about the origin of this Church celebration and how important the Divine Mercy devotion was to Blessed John Paul II.  May 1 is especially fitting, though, because it is also the beginning of a month traditionally dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God.

Blessed John Paul had a very special place in his heart for Mary. His pontificate was dedicated to her in many ways—his motto being “Totus tuus,” or “I belong entirely to you” and an “M” beside the Cross on his coat of arms. He credited her for protecting him when an assassin almost took his life, and he constantly prayed for her love and guidance. He entrusted his heart to her, and he encouraged all members of the Church to do the same—especially young people:

O Virgin Mary, Jesus
on the Cross
wanted to entrust us to you,
not to lessen
but to reaffirm
his exclusive role as Saviour
of the world.

If in the disciple John
all the children of the Church were entrusted to you,
the happier I am to see
the young people of the world
entrusted to you, O Mary.
To you, gentle Mother,
whose protection I have always experienced,
this evening I entrust them to you once again.
All seek refuge and
protection under your mantle.
You, Mother of divine grace,
make them shine with
the beauty of Christ!...

…Guide them to the knowledge of true love
and bless their affections.
Support them in times of suffering.
Make them fearless heralds
of Christ's greeting on Easter Day:  Peace be with you!
With them, I also entrust myself
once again to you
and with confident affection
I repeat to you: 
Totus Tuus ego sum!
I am all yours!
And each one of them
cries to you, with me: 
Totus Tuus!
Totus Tuus!

-Blessed John Paul II, Act of Entrustment to Mary

Jesus was closer to Mary than anyone else on Earth, and without her Fiat, her Yes, our Salvation might never have been. We should take time to honor our beautiful Mother this month of May, then, and entrust our hearts to her guidance and care.

One way we will honor her on Open Wide the Doors is by taking a deeper look at the Rosary. Blessed John Paul II was very devoted to the Rosary. In fact, he named October 2002 to October 2003 “The Year of the Rosary” during his pontificate. “To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ,” he wrote in his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, and that is why it is such an important prayer. Check back here during the month of May for weekly meditations on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, then, so that together we can see Christ through Mary.