Mary May Altar

I am thoroughly enjoying all of the posts that bloggers are dedicating to Our Lady this Merry, Mary, Month of May.  I listed a couple at the bottom of this post:)  Just in time for Mother's Day, we finally got our May Altar set up in her honor. 

I didn't grow up with a particular devotion to Our Lady, nor did I fully understand her Motherly role that dawned with the beginning of the Church.  It was an amazing discovery when I learned, as an adult, how Jesus gave us the grace of His Mother at the foot of the Cross...An immaculate gift indeed. 

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold thy son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother."~Luke 19:25-27

Our Blessed Lord was here establishing a new relationship; a relationship by which his own mother became the mother of all mankind, and we in turn became her children.

(If this is news to you, be sure to browse questions about Mary over at Catholic Answers.) Not to mention Mary's instrumental role to our Salvation when she said "Yes" to carrying God's Son in her womb! (Luke 1:26-38)
All of this made perfect and beautiful sense to me, thus the beginning of a new journey closer to Jesus, through His most Holy Mother.  Our relationship continues to bloom, spreading it's fragrance over the hearts of our children.  Praise God for the knowledge gained just in time to pass it on...No credit to me but all the workings of a perfect Mother.

All the more reason why I love that the Month of May is dedicated to Mary...It's a merry opportunity to honor our Blessed Mother during the Easter season and during the month of our American Mother's Day.  Who better than to celebrate than the Mother of our Church and model for all mothers?!

The tradition of a May Altar dedicated to Mary has strong historical roots.  I've seen some lovely ones out there, ranging from simple to elaborate.  I think it's fun to peek at all of the lovely ideas out there.
As for us, we begin by changing our Home Altar cloth to Mary's color of blue.

Then we add our favorite reminders of Our Lady.  We call this particular display the "many faces of Mary."

Of course we don't worship the statues but we honor the woman she represents...God's Mother, of course!  I love these words from St. John Vianney...
"When one loves anyone, it is a great happiness to have something of theirs as a souvenir.  If we love our Mother, the Blessed Virgin, we should make it both our duty and privilege to have one of her pictures or statues in our home, which from time to time will remind us of her."

The kids love to help and I, in turn, love the ideas they come up with...The display of the Rosary was Superboy's idea this year:)  Keeping a sprig or two of fresh flowers at the feet of Our Lady is also a joyful duty for the children.
Next up in the Mary Month of May is our Mary Garden...It's become a traditional gift that my family gives to me on Mother's Day, in honor of our heavenly Mother.  It's the best gift ever!  She's ready to go for this weekend:)

I think it's amazing that our "Lady"bug garden rocks have lasted, nearly unscathed,  for 2 winters:)

~I will be praying for Mother Mary's Immaculate intercession on behalf of all Mothers, including spiritual mothers, this Mother's Day...And Merry, Mary Month of May to all!~

Good Mama Mary Reads:

The Top 5 Reasons My Mama Rocks

Mother's Day Poems

Allison from Totus Tuus is posting Something About Mary all month!
Barbara at Praying for Grace is posting Everyday for Mary in May.

Catholic Family Fun May Altars

Catholic Icing May Altar Ideas
*Check back periodically as I may add to the list:)*

Mary May Crowning

Mary May Crowning

5-20-11

It was a lovely day for a lovely lady!

We held our Little Flowers/Blue Knights Mary May Crowing today.  We also celebrated our last gathering of our homeschool year.  It was a blessing that Father T. was able to join bless us.  He has quite a story about being a Missionary of Charity Father and working with Mother Teresa in his youth.  Having him present was a special addition to our ceremony.  He led us in prayer and procession and we were honored to have him with us.

“The priest today is the one who has been sent also,

to be that living love, God's love for the world today.

The priest is that sign, he is the living flame, he is the

sunshine of God's love for the world…

He is another Christ.”

~Blessed Teresa of Calcutta ~

After the blessing, (Doesn't it look like he was spraying us with Holy Water?)  Father T. and our 4  Communicants led us in the Magnificat/Canticle of Mary prayer.  

Father T. picked  a name out of a cup to determine which girl would crown our Blessed Mother.

The lucky blessed winner was so excited!  Our procession began with the crowning, led by the Communicants while we sang the hymn, Immaculate Mary.

Up the stairs to crown Our Lady...

Then back down the stairs so the rest of the group can bring their flowers.

Our second hymn was Flowers of the Rarest, while the rest of our group brought flowers up the hill to Our Lady. We never did make it to our Hail Holy Queen hymn.

It was a pilgrimage in many ways...

I just loved this photo of two sweet brothers...

By the way, my 12 year old son took all of the photos...I was so pleased with how they came out!  Especially the ones of Our Crowned Mary!  He captured some neat angles...

This is my absolute FAVORITE with the light streaming through the trees!

We closed out our day with a picnic, play time and a cupcake rosary!

The children got to eat the decades as we prayed them...

 I think it's the tastiest rosary they have ever prayed!

I believe Our Lady was smiling...

I know I was!

Note to readers:  Out of respect of privacy, I tried to be very discreet about posting photos of other families since I did not ask everyone's permission.  If anyone sees a photo that they would like removed, please let me know.

Our Lady of Lourdes "Grotto Globe"

I am SO excited to share this cute and EASY 

Mary craft!

Our Lady of Lourdes Miracle at the"Grotto Globe."

You can make this for any Marian feast day or even to celebrate Mary's month of May.

We got the idea for making snow globes from Kaboose and thought it would be perfect to convert a snow globe into a "grotto globe" for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Most Catholics know the story of Our Lady first appearing to Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858, in Lourdes, France.  You can read more about the story at this link for Catholic Culture.

At first, many people did not believe that Bernadette was seeing a beautiful Lady at the grotto.  On February 25, the Lady pointed to a spot nearby and told Bernadette to scratch at the ground.  A spring of water began to flow.  This spring still produces 27,000 gallons of water each day!

How fitting that this "Grotto Globe" represent the miracle of the spring water that Our Lady revealed to Bernadette.  
Each time we turn the snow globe upside down we will shake it three times and remember:
"Penance, Penance, Penance!"
One of the main messages of the Lourdes Apparition was Penance. Our Lady asked Bernadette to"Kiss the ground as a penance for sinners," there at the spring.


The glitter that sprinkles down is blue in honor of Our Lady's color.
You can really see it swirling in the background of this photo.

We are placing it on our Prayer Table/Home Altar for the next month, in memory of the 18 times  that Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette between February 11-July 16, 1858.  Her feast day is April 16th.  We are also renewing our commitment to praying the Rosary together as a family...we have gotten a bit "off-track" with this as a group lately!

The Grotto Globe Tutorial:

Recycled Jar (We used a pickle jar)
Floral Clay (I ordered from Amazon)
Mary plastic figurine
Glitter
Hot Glue
Embellishments for the exterior grotto:
(We used hot glue for a ring of gold ribbon and white roses at the feet of Mary;
 A bit of brown acrylic paint was used to paint a grotto border to frame Our Lady;
We also hot glued a plastic blue rosary to the top as the final touch!)


Print and follow instructions from Kaboose
P.S. Important note! We heard later that if you add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the water, the glitter won't stick to the fixture!

Don't panic if the glitter sticks to your figure at first!
It eventually settles over night:

Warning: Some of our glitter continued to stick to parts of Mary and her dress but we liked it that way!  Once the globe dries, you can shake the glitter around and much of it falls off the figurine (Not sure but maybe it was just the brand of glitter we used?) I didn't read about this happening in the Kaboose instructions.
Notes:
Trim excess floral clay around the inside edge of the lid so it won't interfere with the seal.
Be sure to add extra hot glue to the outside rim to seal it well.
We did not use brown paint for the whole jar.  We were afraid it would make it too dark.   
I hope you will give it a try....really, very easy!

A Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes can be found at the EWTN website and 
Biography Online here.
Quotes from St. Bernadette:
"I shall spend every moment loving.  One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them."
O my Mother, to you I sacrifice all other attachments so that my heart may belong entirely to you and to my Jesus."
O Jesus, I would rather die a thousand deaths than be unfaithful to you."


"Our Lady's love is like a limpid stream that has its source in the Eternal Fountains, quenches the thirst of all, can never be drained, and ever flows back to its Source."
~Blessed Margaret Bourgeoys~

 Catholic Icing also has some lovely ideas for celebrating Our Lady of Lourdes.

Memorial Day...Visiting & Remembering

Memorial Day on the Feast of the Visitation

We are visiting and remembering...

It is said that a visitation is something more than a simple visit but an encounter that carries an exceptional meaning.  I am reflecting on this exceptional meeting between Our Blessed Mother and her cousin Elizabeth...

And since it is Memorial Day we were also visiting.  Though our visit was not an exceptional meeting, it was an encounter with something meaningful, beyond ourselves.  Visiting the hallowed graves of those who have sacrificed their lives was the least we could do in thanksgiving for our many freedoms. 

Listening to soldiers speak of honor, duty, and their faith in God was a blessing today.  God was certainly front and center of their lives!

~Dear hubby served in the Marines so he enjoyed speaking to a Naval Veteran~

We are grateful for all who serve our country...past, present, and future!

*Keeping my brother and his family close at heart, who are currently serving in the Army*

Several generations share in this day of remembrance...I always cry a river when they play Taps!

Our family loves the red, white & blue! (How can they NOT when both Hubby & I wore combat boots!)

~Our Country's Flag...One Nation Under God

(Oldest and youngest placing their gratitude flags...)

Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all...~

Eternal rest grant them O' Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.

And a special remembrance of my late husband Chris who served his country proudly...

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."~John 15:13~

This is my new favorite quote:

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." ~Mother Teresa~

~God Bless America

My Home, sweet home~

And the red, white, & blue poured out over our meals with this 

Patriotic Fruit Salad & Cake!

"Thank God!  Give him the praise and the glory.  Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song."~Tobit 12:6~