Tuesday, May 13, 2014

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

 
It's May! Does anyone else remember being taught as a kid the saying "April showers bring May flowers"? I used to say that to myself over and over again growing up in upstate NY to get me through those cloudy, cold early spring days in NY in hopes that it was going to get better. We always had the Tulip festival in May. I always looked forward to beautiful flowers everywhere around me. Another find memory was the May crowning for Mary. Yet another Catholic thing that just makes life as a Christian lovely. I always loved to see the pretty crown of flowers placed onto a statue of Mary while singing the hymn "Bring flowers of the rarest".

We never had a statue of Mary at our house, but I bet I would have loved to have one! We still don't have a statue at our house and I still bet I would love one (They really aren't cheap), especially during the month of May when Catholic Christians honor Mary the mother of God in a special way (Look, if we can celebrate stuff like black history month, we can give the woman who was found worthy to carry Jesus Christ a month too).

This is an awesome opportunity of course to discuss our Catholic faith with our children. Why do we honor Mary? Why is she such a special woman in all of history? I definitely don't want to go into it here but I just want to mention that this is such a great month to take the opportunity to teach our children. The May crowning is such a wonderfully visual thing to engrave the teachings of our faith in our youngest children as well as the older ones. 



This Mary statue is at my parent's house. I'm so glad they had one anyway. Pray for us holy mother of God!


Here are the words to the song!

Bring flowers of the rarest,
Bring blossoms the fairest,
From garden and woodland and hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Their lady they name thee,
Their mistress proclaim thee,
Oh, grant that thy children on earth be as true
As long as the bowers
Are radiant with flowers
As long as the azure shall keep its bright hue.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Sing gaily in chorus,
The bright angels o'er us
Re-echo the strains we begin upon earth;
Their harps are repeating
The notes of our greeting,
For Mary herself is the cause of our mirth.

 

Another version:

Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh, thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh, thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mother, to win.
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

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