Month of Mary

Pontiff Hails Mary as Mother and Teacher
Calls May a Time to Rediscover Her Role

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI proposes May to be a time to rediscover the role of the Virgin Mary in Christian life.

After Christ's resurrection, when the apostles gathered with her, Mary was for them both "mother and teacher, a role she continues to carry out for Christians of all times," the Pope said today before praying the Regina Caeli with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"Every year, during Eastertide, we live this experience more intensely and, perhaps, precisely for this reason, popular tradition has consecrated the month of May, which normally falls between Easter and Pentecost, to Mary," the Holy Father said.

The Bishop of Rome invited the faithful to rediscover in the coming month "the maternal role she carries out in our lives, so that we may always be docile disciples and courageous witnesses of the risen Lord."

Benedict XVI entrusted to Mary "the needs of the Church and of the world, especially at this moment marked by not a few shadows."

The Pope invited those present to invoke the intercession of St. Joseph, whom the Church will remember on Monday as worker, especially for the labor world.

The Holy Father will begin the month of May by praying the rosary Monday afternoon at the Shrine of Divine Love, near Rome.

Also, during the month of May, after evening prayer the community gathers around "the Sedes" and chants the following, in Latin:

From the Easter Vigil to Pentecost

Regina Caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus.
Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu
Christi, mandum laetificare dignatus es:
praesta, quaesumus: ut, per eius Genitricem Virginem
Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem
Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen.

Translation:
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
Has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
The son whom you merited to bear, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray.
O God, who through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, did vouchsafe to give joy to the world; grant, we beseech Thee, that through His mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

My reaction to the above when we were done chanting? "Sweeeet."