Author: cnorman

Third Sunday of Easter
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
	The month of May has not only good weather, but an interesting pedigree. It is named after the Roman goddess Maia, said to be the mother of Hermes, or Mercury. The Romans saw it as “love’s month,” while in England, more practical farmers called it “Three Milks,” since the cows grazing on springtime’s bounty could produce at a phenomenal rate. Old customs die hard, and Christians have never made peace with Maytime frolics. No wonder that popular tradition dedicated the month’s prayers and devotions to Mary, although we cannot lose sight of the fact that the liturgy always has Easter at the center of celebration. Recent developments have enriched Mary’s place in a cycle of feast days woven through the whole year, dedicated Saturday as a weekly day for devotion, and highlighted Mary’s role in the Advent story. In fact, every day of the year Evening Prayer centers on the singing of Mary’s Canticle of Praise. The fifty days of Easter culminate on Pentecost with Mary, present of course for Christ’s birth, waiting in the upper room for the birth of the church.
—Rev. James Field