Month of May is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary

Easter: May 1st      

Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker

1st May, 2013 - Saint Joseph

The month of May is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. The first 19 days of the month fall within the liturgical season of Easter, which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The remainder of the month (beginning the Monday after Pentecost) is in Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection.

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of May 2013

General: That administrators of justice may act always with integrity and right conscience.

Missionary: That seminaries, especially those of mission churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)

Feasts for May

The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of May are:

1. Joseph the Worker, Opt. Mem.
2. Athanasius, Memorial
3. Philip and James, Feast
5. Sixth Sunday of Easter, Sunday
10. St. Damien Joseph de Veuster, priest, Opt. Mem.
12. Ascension or the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Sunday
13. Our Lady of Fatima, Opt. Mem.
14. Matthias, Feast
15. Isidore the Farmer (USA), Opt. Mem.
18. John I, Opt. Mem.
19. Pentecost; Whitsunday, Sunday
20. Bernardine of Siena, Opt. Mem.
21. Christopher Magallanes and companions; Eugene de Mazenod (Canada), Opt. Mem.
22. Rita of Cascia, Opt. Mem.
25. Bede the Venerable; Gregory VII; Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Opt. Mem.
26. Trinity Sunday, Solemnity
27. Augustine of Canterbury, Opt. Mem.
31. Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast

Focus of the Liturgy

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 St Joseph the Worker
Saint Joseph the Worker         Every day St Joseph had to provide for the family's needs with hard manual work. Thus the Church rightly points to him as the patron of workers.         Today's is also a wonderful occasion to reflect on the importance of work in the life of the human person, the family and the community.         The human being is the subject and the primary agent of work, and in the light of this truth, we can clearly perceive the fundamental connection between the person, work and society. Human activity - the Second Vatican Council recalls - proceeds from the human person and is ordered to the person. According to God's design and will, it must serve the true good of humanity and allow "man as an individual and as a member of society to cultivate and carry out his integral vocation" (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 35).         In order to fulfil this mission, a "tested spirituality of human work" must be cultivated that is firmly rooted in the "Gospel of work" and believers are called to proclaim and to witness to the Christian meaning of work in their many activities and occupations (cf. Laborem exercens, n. 26).         May St Joseph, such a great and humble saint be an example that inspires Christian workers, who should call on him in every circumstance. Today I wish to entrust to the provident guardian of the Holy Family of Nazareth the young people who are training for their future profession, the unemployed, and those who are suffering from the hardship of the shortage of employment, families and the whole world of work, with the expectations and challenges, the problems and prospects that characterize it. (John Paul II - General audience, Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Wednesday, 19 March 2003)