Celebrations for May

(Plain Text Version)

May 1: St. Joseph the Worker.  St. Joseph was chosen by God to be the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ.  Through his years of physical labor, he provided for his family and helped his neighbors.  St. Joseph is an example for us, but more importantly, he adds his prayers to ours as he lives with God in eternity. We can pray to St. Joseph to help us to become better workers.

May 10: St. Damien of Molokai (1840—1889) gave us a perfect example of “laying down one’s life for his friends,” as Christ commanded.  Fr. Damien traveled from Belgium to the Hawaiian island of Molokai to care for the lepers there.  He knew that he would never be permitted to leave this island.  For 16 years, he brought many people to the faith, helped people to live better lives, and worked to obtain better living conditions.

May 13: Our Lady of Fatima.  In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children in Portugal, asking them to call the world to prayer and penance.  The Blessed Mother predicted the end of World War I, and warned that another war would occur if people did not repent.

May 16 (May 13 in some places): The Ascension of the Lord.  Forty days after His Resurrection, Jesus gave final instructions to His disciples and returned to Heaven.

May 23: Pentecost Sunday.  After the Ascension, the disciples prayed and waited to receive the Holy Spirit.  At the end of nine days, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and were able to preach the Gospel effectively.  This is the beginning of the Church as a visible institution.

May 29: St. Paul VI, Pope.  St. Paul VI served as pope from 1963 until his death in 1978.  Like the first St. Paul, he labored for the conversion of the whole world.  He oversaw the work of modernizing the form of the Mass, and reaffirmed the teaching that marital relations must always be open to new life.

May 30: Trinity Sunday.  Today we celebrate God for what He is, not for what He does.  God is a community of Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  God is not a solitary, impersonal being, but exists as three Persons united by a most intense love.