Today is May Day. When I was a little girl, this was a fun time of making little baskets and giving them to friends or hanging them on doors to brighten someone’s day. The tradition goes way back to ancient Britain with the celebration of “Mary’s Day,” which in fact was adopted from the earlier Celtic spring celebration of Beltane with dances around the May pole, flowers, and feasting. Around the world, there have been many early May celebrations welcoming summer and new life. Celebrations of the Virgin Mary in May seem to have started in the 1700’s in Italy but are less common now. Many celebrations across Europe and beyond included the crowning of a statue or icon of Mary with flowers.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, figures prominently in the
background of the Resurrection accounts. She is not specifically listed as
being one of the women who go to the tomb on Easter morning, but we know she
was at the foot of the Cross on Good Friday. The Gospel of John tells us, standing
near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife
of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom
he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’
Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the
disciple took her into his own home. (John 19:25-27)
Many works of art have been crafted showing the moment Jesus is taken from the cross and laid in Mary’s arms. Perhaps one of the best known is Michelangelo’s Pieta. The greatest anguish any mother, or parent, can have is to have to bury a child. Too many mothers (and fathers) around the world experience this devastating feeling because of war, famine, murder, illness, accidents, etc. Michelangelo captures this in the helpless posture of Mary holding her dead son.
Mary can invite us into the grief that precedes Easter
Sunday, and can lead us into hope for a new way of living around the world
where mothers are not experiencing the deep grief of the loss of a child (of
any age). Mary can help us embrace our family relationships more fully. She was
such an integral part of the story of the Holy Family. We also know she was
part of the family of the early church and present at Pentecost. Then they
returned to Jerusalem [after the Ascension]…Peter, and John, and James, and
Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and
Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James….together with certain women,
including Mary the mother of Jesus. (Acts 1:12-14)
This Mary Day liturgy, adopted from A Contemporary Celtic
Prayer Book is a way to bless our families on this special day.
Begin in a circle
Leader: Let us bless others with new energy and life.
Participants around the circle name those they want to
pray for saying:
Those I wish to bless with new energy and life are…
Leader: Bless, O Threefold true and bountiful all spouses
and children, all mothers and all fathers.
Bless everything with each dwelling and each possession,
With goodly progress and gentle blessing.
From sea to sea, and every river mouth,
From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.
All: Be the Three Persons taking possession of all to me
belonging.
Be the sure Trinity protecting me in truth;
Oh! Satisfy my soul in the words of Paul,
And shield my loved ones beneath the wing of Thy glory,
Bless everything and every one,
Of my household by my side;
Place the cross of Christ on us with the power of love,
Till we see the land of joy.
End by singing or saying the Shaker hymn, if desired. During the singing the group may circle clockwise while holding hands. (If doing this by yourself, allow your body to move in time to the music)
Tis a gift to be simple
Tis a gift to be free
Tis a gift to come down
Where we ought to be.
And when we find ourselves
In the valley of delight,
Turning, turning
Come around right.
Raised joined hands and move to center of circle. Raise
hands and sing
When true simplicity is gained
Step back and bow while singing
To bow and to bend
We will not be ashamed.
Release hands and turn in a circle singing
To turn, to turn
Will be our delight.
And turning, turning
We’ll come around right.
Repeat song as desired.
You may want to make a call, send a text, or post a May Day
meme. You could even make a May basket or two as you celebrate the lives of the
people in your family (related by blood, commonality, and/or faith).
Next week we’ll meet Joanna and the so-called “Myrrh
Bearers”
