By Brea Cannon
Liturgical Rhythm of Life
“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” – Maximilian Kolbe
On the church’s liturgical calendar, the months of May and October are traditionally associated with Mary. A little observed fact is that August is also a very Marian month and a month of faithful mothers. The month is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Church celebrates the oldest and highest Marian feast, the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 15.
The Solemnity of the Assumption dates back to the fifth century. In November 1950, Pope Pius XII declared Mary’s assumption dogma of the Catholic Church — dogma is a teaching we must believe as Catholics. In many parts of the world, it is a holy day of obligation — which makes Mass on Aug. 15 mandatory for Catholics.
It is very telling, on the oldest and highest Marian feast day, the celebration of Mary leads us straight to her son Jesus in the Eucharist. To Jesus, through Mary.
Throughout the world, the Assumption is called “great flower day” or “herb day.” The faithful bring bouquets to be blessed at Mass to decorate home altars or herbs used for cooking. The connections of flowers or herbs to the Assumption are tied to an old legend.
“When Mary felt her end was drawing near, she sent her guardian angel to summon the apostles ... When they received the summons, they came in a great hurry and were just in time to witness the happy death of their dear Mother. Everyone had come except Thomas. He was three days late … he cried bitterly and pled with the apostles to open the tomb … The other apostles yielded to his plea, but as they opened the tomb, they found it filled with flowers, which gave out a heavenly scent … According to the legend, all the flowers and herbs on Earth had lost their scent after Adam and Eve committed the first sin ... On the day of the assumption of the Blessed Mother, however, the flowers were given back their scent and the herbs their power to heal.” (Around the Year with the von Trapp Family)
During the early 1940s, the world was in turmoil. In the midst of WWII with the reality of death and destruction, Pope Pius XII, with a deep devotion for our Lady and her messages at Fatima, consecrated the world to her Immaculate Heart on Oct. 31, 1942.
"My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God." (Mary to Lucia on June 13, 1917.)
As the War continued, Pius XII returned once again to the Immaculate Heart. In 1944, he established a feast day for the Immaculate Heart on Aug. 22 to call on Mary’s intercession for, “Peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue.”
This feast remains on the Church calendar; in 1969 it was moved to June to accompany the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — To Jesus, through Mary.
At that time, the Queenship of Mary was added to Aug. 22 to call to mind the connectedness of Mary’s assumption and Queenship — Jesus our King, crowns his mother Queen of Heaven and of Earth to serve as the advocate for the people in the Kingdom of God.
August also has two other feast days dedicated to faithful mothers: On Aug. 18, we celebrate St. Helen — the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine and finder of the true cross of Christ. St. Monica the mother of St. Augustine and patron saint of mothers of wayward children is celebrated on August 27. Her fasting and prayer is associated with her son’s conversion. A powerful novena to St. Monica for wayward children begins Aug. 18. It can be prayed anytime throughout the year for children or grandchildren.
The month is filled with feast days of saints who had a profound love for the Blessed Mother:
Aug. 1: St. Alphonsus Liguori
Aug. 8: St. Dominic Guzman
Aug. 14: St. Maximilian Kolbe
As we continue in the liturgical “green meadow” of ordinary time, the month of the Immaculate Heart gives us a natural rhythm to reflect on Christ Jesus our King through his mother and her role in the ushering in the kingdom here on earth.