May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but begins with a feast of her earthly spouse, Saint Joseph the Worker. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 and remains the same in the post-Conciliar calendar. Here is some of the original text:
“Wisdom rendered to the just the wages of their labours and conducted them in a wonderful way; and she was to them for a covert by day and for the light of stars by night; alleluia, alleluia. Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
“O God, Creator of all things, who didst lay on the human race the law of labour: graciously grant; that by following the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage, we may carry out the work Thou dost command, and obtain the reward Thou dost promise.”
“Obtain for us, Joseph, grace to lead an innocent life; and may it ever be shielded by thy patronage.”
“From the work of our hands we offer sacrifice to Thee, O Lord; through the mediation of Saint Joseph may it be a pledge for us of union and peace.”
“Grant, O Lord, that what we have received may, by the intercession of blessed Joseph, crown our work and confirm our reward.”
The 11th is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, much needed. The 15th is Saint Isidore the Farmer, invoked by gardeners and homesteaders…a great one for the topics we concern ourselves with here. He is not to be confused with Saint Isidore, Archbishop of Seville and Doctor of the Church. However, Isidore the Farmer was named after him, also being from Spain.
The ASCENSION OF OUR LORD, on Thursday the 29th, is a Holyday of Obligation in the following provinces: Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha, and Philadelphia. All other US provinces transfer the feast to Sunday, June 1st. Ascension Thursday also possesses a vigil.
Remember the Major Rogation Day last month? This month, the 26th, 27th and 28th are the Minor or Lesser Rogation Days. They are traditional celebrations, similar to the Ember Days, in performing prayer and penance related to the season and the harvest. I found a fabulous article at Catholic Culture connecting Saint Isidore the Farmer to the Rogation Days. Here you will find references to the life of Saint Isidore and his wife Saint Maria de la Cabeza, the sanctity of the agrarian life, the liturgy of Saint Isidore, the Catholic Rural Life ministry, liturgical aspects of the Rogation Days and a number of links to prayers, more info on Rogation Days and Catholicism/Agrarianism…highly recommended reading…
SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER & ROGATION DAYS
And now for OUR LADY…We have 3 Marian feasts: Fatima on the 13th (which celebrates the first of the 6 visions), and the Visitation & the Queenship of Our Lady on the 31st. The 3rd is the First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart. The First 5 Saturdays Communion of Reparation is one of Mary’s Fatima requests. So in this month of Our Lady and the Fatima feast, isn’t it a great time to begin this devotion? Check if your local parish performs this-if not, maybe you could start it! See “Fatima Family Holy Hour” topic to the right>>> for a Fatima program we posted several years ago…to be done on the 13th of each month from May to October, including PDF’s.
Other notable feasts of May, in the trad and “new” calendars:
3rd-Saints Philip & James, Apostles
11th-Saints Philip & James, Apostles (trad)
14th-Saint Matthias, Apostle who replaced Judas
HOMESCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR MAY
1) Draw a picture of Our Lord’s Ascension.
2) What were Our Lady of Fatima’s 4 main requests?
3) Write an essay on the story of the 6 Fatima apparitions. Follow this composition format: Intro paragraph, 1 paragraph per apparition, concluding paragraph.