One of the most beautiful Catholic customs is the annual May Crowning. Herewith a lovely video of Catholic school girls in diverse times and parishes placing wreaths of flowers on statues of Our Lady, crowning the Mother of our Redeemer with lovely ribbons and roses. "How dark without Mary life's journey would be!"

By saying "yes" to God, she gave us Jesus, and there is no greater gift possible for us mortals. Let us honor her in a particular way in this month dedicated to mothers and all those women who have helped us grow in our faith. Lyrics are in the show notes, but I am posting them here as well for all to sing along.

Happy Mother's Day to all our mothers, those still with us and those who have passed away, and to our heavenly Mother, Mary most holy, the perfect model of all mothers! 

"Queen of the May"
author unknown

Bring flowers of the fairest
Bring flowers of the rarest
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale
Our full hearts are swelling
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale

(chorus)
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
Our voices ascending, In harmony blending
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn Dear Mother, to thee
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee
How dark without Mary Life's journey would be!

(chorus)

O Virgin most tender
Our homage we render
Thy love and protection Sweet Mother, to win
In danger defend us
In sorrow befriend us
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin

(chorus) 

Of Mothers the dearest
Oh, wilt thou be nearest
When life with temptation Is darkly replete
Forsake us, O never
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet! 

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
​

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Pontmain, France, known more popularly as Our Lady of Hope. Appearing to six children on January 17, 1871, the Blessed Virgin encouraged them to persevere in prayer in order to obtain Heaven's help against an army of invaders.

In August 1870, less than six months before, the Prussian Army under Kaiser Wilhelm I had begun its military expansion into France and was closing in on Pontmain, having already invaded Paris just two days after Christmas. The villagers feared for their lives. Father Guerin, the parish priest, had instructed the children to pray to Our Lady for help.

About 5:00 p.m., young Eugene Barbadette was outside helping to feed the animals when he spotted a lady in the sky. He stood entranced by the vision of a tall lady wearing a long blue robe with gold stars, a black veil, and a gold crown. Later in the evening, he would see her holding a red Crucifix with the words "JESUS CHRIST." Soon his 10-year-old brother Joseph and their father joined him, but only Joseph could see the apparition. (This is common in nearly all approved apparitions of Our Lady, who most often chooses to appear to poor, country children who are pure in mind and body. Even the local teaching sisters could not see her.)

As the evening of January 17th deepened into night, the villagers prayed and sang hymns, even though they could not see anything out of the ordinary. As they did so, the children reported that a written scroll with gold letters was unfolding at Our Lady's feet with the following words, one sentence at a time:

"Mais priez mes enfants, Dieu vous exaucera dans peu de temps. mon Fils se laisse toucher."

"But pray, my children. God will hear you in a little while. My Son allows Himself to be moved."

And He did. While the people prayed, unbeknownst to them the Prussian general was receiving orders at that hour to withdraw. Thankfully, ten days later an armistice was signed officially ending the Franco-Prussian War. Some might say this is just a coincidence, but this isn't the first time the Blessed Virgin has obtained military victories for her children.

To read the full story of Our Lady of Pontmain, go here to Catholic Straight Answers.

Let us ask Our Lord in these very difficult times to give us the grace to grow in the saving virtue of hope and to remember that ultimately the best weapon we possess against evil in all its forms is prayer. Let us also remember that one of the greatest gifts we have received from God is His sweet mother as our heavenly advocate.

Depending on your liturgical flavor, today is either the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Traditional) or the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Either way, today is a Marian feast day, and in her honor I offer the following beautiful a capella choral work, arranged by Polish composer Henryk Gorecki.

Hail, Holy Queen. May your Immaculate Heart triumph, soon and very soon. "O Matko Milosciwa" ("Oh Merciful Mother.")