Just A Thought Or Two . . .
May Is the Month for Mary and Mothers.
All through the month of April I had admired the beautiful wild flowers that graced the page of my calendar. Last week I flipped the page to May. I looked at the May photograph. I was expecting a picture of multi-colored blooms kissed by morning dew lining an exquisite garden path. After all, May is the month of Mary and Mothers.
I looked at the picture. Then I checked the month again. The May picture was a scene from Big Bend National Park in Texas. A tree in the foreground looked out over a desolate endless basin. There were no flowers. There was scorched earth. No offense to the people of Texas, but it wasn’t the “May” I expected. Whatever happened to “April showers bring May flowers?”
Then I remembered the lessons of a wise farmer. One afternoon he showed me young plants that were already several inches tall. We’d had lots of rain and the plants had grown quickly. I said it looked like he had a healthy crop. He shook his head and said he was concerned. The young plants had been lavished with lots of water. They were thriving now. But what would happen when there was even a short drought? He explained that these plants did not have a well-developed root system. They had never been challenged to push their roots deep into the soil in search of precious water. The farmer understood the big picture.
Perhaps that is exactly what May’s picture of Big Bend National Park is all about. Our lives have been filled with blessings and abundance. We have been nurtured by loving families and friends. Our spiritual growth has been supported by our parish communities.
While I was tempted to revisit the April flowers, I knew that May days have lessons to teach us. May is the month to thank Mary, the Mother of Jesus, for teaching us to accept the graces that come with that unconditional “Yes” when a loving God calls us to respond. May is the month to thank our mothers for insisting that we do our chores, tell the truth, and find a way to peacefully solve the conflicts with our siblings.
May is the month to thank our mothers for pushing us to try new things, for expecting our best in school, and for resisting the temptation to rescue us when we need to be accountable. May is the month to thank our Blessed Mother and our own mothers for their faithful and loving example.
Mary and our mothers know that we need strong root systems. Mary and our mothers know that there will be many “big bends” in the road that will challenge us to search for what we need. There will be many droughts. There will be times of doubt. We must daily be in touch with a Shepherd who leads us to springs of life-giving water. The picture that graces the calendar for the month of May reminds us of just that.
Please come and pray with us:
Liturgy: Wednesday, May 14th, 1:05 p.m., All Saints Church. Feast of St. Matthew, hosted by Grade Four.