My Thoughts on 01/05/2020

Today on this first day of May rather than giving you my own thought I want to pass on to you what Pope Francis said in a letter he wrote last week. He reminded us that May is a time when we can with particular intensity express our love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.”

He went on to say

“For this reason, I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May. This can be done either as a group or individually; you can decide according to your own situations, making the most of both opportunities. The key to doing this is always simplicity, and it is easy also on the internet to find good models of prayers to follow.”

He ended the letter saying:

“Dear brothers and sisters, contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial. I keep all of you in my prayers, especially those suffering most greatly, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. I thank you, and with great affection I send you my blessing.”

I realise not everyone finds the Rosary easy. Can I suggest that during this month we ask Mary to turn her merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. We ask her to comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. We ask her to be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. May she fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.