190. With regard to the observance of "Marian months", which is
widespread in the Latin and Oriental Churches(223), a number of essential points
can be mentioned(224).
In the West, the practise of observing months dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin emerged from a context in which the Liturgy was not always
regarded as the normative form of Christian worship. This caused, and continues
to cause, some difficulties at a liturgico-pastoral level that should be
carefully examined.
191. In relation to the western custom of observing a "Marian
month" during the month of May (or in November in some parts of the Southern
hemisphere), it would seem opportune to take into account the demands of the
Liturgy, the expectations of the faithful, their maturity in the faith, in an
eventual study of the problems deriving from the "Marian months" in the overall
pastoral activity of the local Church, as might happen, for example, with any
suggestion of abolishing the Marian observances during the month of May.
In many cases, the solution for such problems would seem to lay in
harmonizing the content of the "Marian months" with the concomitant season of
the Liturgical Year. For example, since the month of May largely corresponds
with the fifty days of Easter, the pious exercises practised at this time could
emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery (cf. John 19, 25-27),
and the Pentecost event (cf, Acts 1, 14) with which the Church begins: Our Lady
journeys with the Church having shared in the novum of the Resurrection, under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The fifty days are also a time for the
celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation and of the mystagogy. The
pious exercises connected with the month of May could easily highlight the
earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the
celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy
Eucharist(225).
The directives of Sacrosanctum
Concilium on the need to orient the "minds of the faithful...firstly to
the feasts of the Lord, in which, the mysteries of salvation are celebrated
during the year"(226), and with which the Blessed Virgin Mary is certainly
associated, should be closely followed.
Opportune catechesis should remind the faithful that the weekly
Sunday memorial of the Paschal Mystery is "the primordial feast day". Bearing in
mind that the four weeks of Advent are an example of a Marian time that has been
incorporated harmoniously into the Liturgical Year, the faithful should be
assisted in coming to a full appreciation of the numerous references to the
Mother of our Saviour during this particular period.
Source: Directory on Popular Piety
