Bring flow'rs of the fairest, bring flow'rs 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.
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.
[Traditional Marian Hymn]
Our steadfast friend in heaven, St. Louis de Montfort taught that God's chosen ones "stay at home with their mother" and "always remain in the company of the Blessed Virgin . . . whose glory is wholly interior and who during her whole life dearly loved seclusion and prayer." They also "have a great love for Our Lady and honor her truly as their Mother and Queen." [True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, "TDBV," Sections 196-197.]
Halfway through this glorious Marian month, it is my great joy and privilege to share photographs and writings from families who have indeed stayed at home with their mother affectionately honoring her as their Queen, through May Altars, Mary Gardens, and, above all, unceasing prayer and trust in her intercession and unfailing resolve to lead us to her Son.
In May is for Mary, the always-uplifting Dawn, of By Sun and Candlelight, inspires with an intimate look at her warm and gracious home, including a May altar that is as edifying as it is beautiful. I can imagine her boys picking up those well-chosen Marian books throughout the month and loving our heavenly mother more with each and every one. As they step outside to play, how glad they must be to breathe in the fragrant and well-tended garden, while watching songbirds visit a beautiful new statue of Our Lady that also happens to be a birdfeeder. (The Holy Spirit seems behind that Carmelite gift shop find!)
A devoted young mother from The Chronicles of Mommyhood shares her family's May Altar, a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa, the miraculous black Madonna of Poland, who was so instrumental in guiding and inspiring our beloved Pope, John Paul the Great, from the days of his youth. I had the privilege of visiting Czestochowa fourteen years ago and attended a private Mass in the presence of this revered icon. It was a stirring experience I will never forget and one of the reasons I especially love this particular May altar.
My dear friend, Elizabeth Foss, never ceases to amaze with photographs of her beautiful May altars, not to mention a thoughtful post sharing some of her family's many activities and devotions to honor Our Lady, including the creation of a colorful Mary Garden to grace the outside of their home. Elizabeth somehow manages to go the extra mile in everything she does.
Thoughtful Kathleen Lawson was kind enough to send a photograph of her indoor altar prayer room, a tranquil place of prayer and devotion that would enhance and bless any home,
not to mention her serene outdoor shrine, showing Our Lady fittingly crowned and decked in the loveliest of spring flowers:
Warm and wonderful Rebecca, of A Gypsy Caravan shares her family's May altar, lovingly trimmed with the season's brightest Lilies of the Valley, Pink Azaleas, and a delicately embroidered cloth, along with an array of devotional books sure to inspire the children throughout this month and beyond. I cannot imagine a more perfect place to pray and grow in love for Our Lady:
My friend and fellow moderator, Janette, of the 4Real Message Board shares her family's attractive altar. With its smooth Rosary beads artfully balancing a glossy jug of flowers in the same tawny hue and tea lights lit in Our Lady's honor, this May altar looks ready for the family to gather for the Rosary and a heartfelt round of hymns:
At the Ecole Buissonniere, Louise, the dear mother of eleven wonderful children, offers photos of her family's May Altar in a heartfelt Mother's Day wish to Our Lady. The varied old-fashioned roses and scattered petals make me wish their fragrance could travel through the computer screen, and the lighted candles and basket of books cannot help but lift the spirits and create an atmosphere of devotion and prayer. Louise, like all of the other mothers represented, has created a perfect place for her family to gather in prayer, touching the young souls in her care and inspiring them to an intimate love of Our Blessed Mother.
In outlining exterior practices of True Devotion to Our Lady, St. Louis mentions, among other things, the careful recitation of the Rosary, the wearing of the scapular, and "decorating her altars, [and] crowning and adorning her statues." [TDBV Section 116] How pleased our Mother in Heaven must be to see so many families gathered in prayer around richly decorated May Altars, drawing both parents and children ever closer to Jesus through Mary.
___________________
Many, many thanks to all who were kind enough to send photos and links sharing your May Altars here at Cottage Blessings. If anyone reading this did not get a chance to email a photo or link, please send it along any time, and I will be very glad to add it to this post. Believe me, I know how difficult it is to get an altar completed and photo ready by the middle of May. A series of illnesses and weather delays caused our May Altar and Crowning photos of last year to wait until the first of June, but I think Our Lady just wanted our rhododendrons to be in bloom for the event!
