Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout May

Notes

• This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi Sunday in which The Church honors the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
• The feast originated in the 13th century, inspired by the visions of Saint Juliana of Liege, a Norbertine Canoness from Belgium.
• Saint Juliana's visions began around 1208, where she saw the moon with a dark spot, symbolizing the absence of a feast dedicated to the Eucharist.
• After years of advocacy, the feast began in the Diocese of Liege in 1246.
• Pope Urban IV, inspired by Saint Juliana, instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi for the entire Catholic Church in a papal bull.
• He commissioned Saint Thomas Aquinas to compose the liturgical texts for the feast, including the Tantum Ergo.
• Corpus Christi became one of the most important feasts on the liturgical calendar.
• May is a fitting time to focus on Mary, Mother of God, and Mother of the Church.
• The decree establishing the celebration of Mary, Mother of the Church, on the Monday after Pentecost states that Mary became the Mother of the Church when she accepted her Son's testament of love at the foot of the Cross.
• Mary welcomed all people as sons and daughters to be reborn into eternal life, as exemplified by her actions at the foot of the Cross.
• Mary is a model of humble obedient service, demonstrating the importance of accepting her Son’s testament of love.
• From her response to the Angel Gabriel to her Assumption into heaven, Mary exemplified bringing Jesus to a suffering world.
• Mary's virtues, such as her response to God at the Annunciation and her intervention at the wedding feast at Cana, are essential for being a faithful follower of Jesus.
• Mary’s humility allowed her to follow God's will and gave her courage to face an unknown future.
• Her trusting humility enabled her to say yes under all circumstances of her life.
• Mary committed to following God's will and bringing His Son into the world, even without fully understanding the divine plan.
• Despite facing pain, bewilderment, and sorrow, Mary’s humble obedience and reliance on divine love gave her strength to be the first and greatest disciple of Jesus.
• Mary gave birth to Jesus at Bethlehem and continued to bring His presence into the world throughout her life.
• Mary invites us to "do whatever he tells you," continuing her role of bringing Jesus to the world.
• Mary is our model of true discipleship, teaching us to listen humbly and act boldly on God's invitation.
• By following Mary’s example, we are called to bring Jesus to a suffering world through humble obedience to God's will.