Honoring Our Lady

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did." - St. Maximilian Kolbe

April brought several snow showers to WI this year, prolonging the cold and wet days and delaying any hope of growth for the frozen grass and flowers. But that didn't stop us from welcoming spring into our home. The girls and I made paper hyacinths and daffodils to cheer up our dining room. Seeing the bright and lively blooms on our walls helped remind us that spring was on it's way!

We made a mini grotto, complete with foliage and fauna during the month of May in honor of Our Lady. It was a quick and easy activity that we finished in one afternoon. You can find the free "Mary diorama" at the Catholic Sistas blog. We used crayons instead of watercolors and a tissue box (in place of a shoe box) for the grotto. All the pieces fit together nicely. The girls were excited to look for the perfect spot to place our grotto in the backyard.

Isn't the pose/posture of the cut-out Mary lovely? It reminds me of the work of CB Chambers, one of my favorite american artists.

"O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!"

One of the traditions I have kept up over the years is to crown a statue of Our Lady in our home during the first week of May, the month dedicated to Our Lady.

I have a small metal statue of  Our Lady of Grace that was handed down to me from my mom. My grandmother gave it to her in high school. My mom kept it after she married and placed it on the dining room table. I remember gazing at it during dinner and rosaries when we prayed as a family. The statue now sits on our dining room table as I raise my own family. My girls took turns placing a tiny flowered crown on her head. Every morning this week they hurry outside to find flowers (and pretty dandelions) from our garden to bring them to Mary.

Finally found the time to put up the Christmas gift from my mom, a beautiful wall rosary. It's the perfect rosary for a mama on the move! It helps me keep track of the Hail Mary's I pray during the day while changing diapers, doing laundry or making snack for the kiddos. For every prayer of the rosary there is a bead. Top row is for the five decades (you slide them over to one side to say the next decade), middle row the Our Fathers, and bottom row is the Hail Holy Queen, Hail Mary's and Apostles Creed.

I hung the "Fiat" rosary below our wedding picture as a constant reminder to live my vocation as wife and mother to the fullest. I strive to keep Our Lady close to my heart and surrender my humble "Yes" to Him daily. I trust that He will carry me through the wild/smelly/sticky days of raising His children. Each of their souls is gift to our family. They are our path to heaven.