Thursday, May 3, 2012
First Saturday of May -- Supermoon
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: On this first Saturday in the month of Mary (May) 2012, the skies will be illuminated by a "supermoon." While there is nothing astronomically special about this occurrence, I do find it spiritually special, in that it coincidentally occurs this year in the month of Mary, when the Fatima apparitions began, and the First Five Saturdays devotion was later revealed. Both the month of May and Saturday are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church, and the moon is seen as an iconographic symbol of Mary. She is often depicted standing on a crescent moon. The reason for this is simple. The moon represents Mary only because it reflects the light of the sun. It is this reflection that gives the moon its glowing bright appearance. Without the sun to shine on it, there is no reflection, and the moon is dark. Naturally, if Mary is symbolically depicted in the moon, then Jesus Christ is symbolically depicted in the sun, because Christ is the source of the light his mother Mary reflects, just as the sun is the source of the light the moon reflects. If the moon is bright, it is only because it reflects the light of the sun which is brighter. If Mary is "bright" it is only because she reflects the light of her Son who is "brighter." So on this First Saturday in the month of May, say a rosary, and be sure to do so under the light of the supermoon if you get a chance. It's sure to be a beautiful sight indeed...
Topics:
Catholicism,
Mary,
Science
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Beautiful ... thank you Sir Knight.
TCK,
Reflecting upon your article and the wonder of Mother Mary, my thoughts turned on the following:
Not only does Our Lady reflect God's Life - The Light of His Love - to mankind but she presents our prayers to Him, making them more acceptable by passing through her Immaculate Heart. Praying the Rosary is a perfect example of drawing closer to God through Mary and receiving abundant graces and blessings - even miraculous protection.
Eight Jesuits in Hiroshima, living within the area of the fireball from the nuclear blast, not only miraculously survived that impact but were unaffected by the encompassing radiation. However, they had prayed the Rosary daily in their home, and not even their home was badly damaged when all else was.
As we near the Chastisement knowing that there will be no help except that from God's mercy, the Mother of Mercy and her Holy Rosary will be our refuge. Therefore I was wondering if you would do an article on the Rosary and Our Lady's fifteen promises to those who prayed it. If you have already done so and I have missed it, my apologies.
Parishioners joining the Holy Angels in Perpetual Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in their parish church also powerfully invoke God's protection upon the whole community where they live.
Our medieval forebears, taking a page from classical antiquity, often defined Nature as everything from the Moon on down. That is, the Moon and everything below it were ever changing, whereas the planets, stars, Sun and the heavens above were ever constant. (This was before the observation of supernovas rocked the classical worldview.) Thus, an additional reason that Mary often has been portrayed standing on the Moon is that it represents her perfect union with God in Jesus Christ: she is now above Nature, literally supernatural, through her union with her Son.
Here in the Philippines, May is a month entirely dedicated to Mama Mary. Many locals have the monthlong festival of Flores de Mayo, offering flowers and praying to Mary each day. I hope and pray we Filipinos will always strive to follow her example and imitate her Son who is Christ.
AD IESV PER MARIAM,
Filipino Catholic.
Post a Comment