The Catholic Church has appropriated May for the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, every Catholic Church celebrates the religious festival called Flores de Mayo, in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God). This has become part of the Catholic religious tradition in the Philippines.
During this month, children would hurry to the church bringing flowers every afternoon. After the Rosary, the letters of Ave Maria would be assigned to eight children and are processioned from the entrance of the church to, or near, the Sanctuary. Then the other children would follow, bringing flowers to offer to the Virgin Mary, with the singing of Marian songs.
On May 31, the Santacruzan would be performed. In short, the Santacruzan commemorates the finding of the “true cross” by Queen Helena and Emperor Constantine the Great during the Roman Empire. A parade of Queen Helena and Emperor Constantine under an arc would be held from and then back to the church.
But the most important aspect of Flores de Mayo is that it is in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God is being venerated by praying the Holy Rosary, by offering flowers and by the singing of Marian songs by little children. This is also to inculcate in the children the virtues of humility, obedience, charity and purity of the Mother of God.
However, Mary has been criticized by non-Catholics. Catholics have been imputed of committing blasphemy by praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary and not directly to God.
Catholics are wrongly imputed in this regard. Catholic teaching on Mary says that she is not God, but she is the (human) Mother of God. Even the Lord Jesus himself honored his Mother during the wedding at Cana. Mary says to Jesus: “They have no more wine” (Jn. 2:3). Although at first Jesus seems to refuse his Mother, yet, he yields to Mary’s request, by ordering the waiters: “Fill those jars with water” (v.7), which is transubstantiated into wine of the finest quality.
The Blessed Virgin Mary has been wrongly judged. She is not God, true; but she deserves the honor by virtue of her being the Mother of Jesus, the Lord and Savior. For it is through her that the Son of God is being Incarnated, i.e., “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn. 1:14). Catholics venerate Mary, not adore Mary.
It is thus necessary to distinguish veneration from adoration. To venerate is to give high respect to … as in the case of saints, for reason of having reached the level of sanctity by the Grace of God. To adore is to pay homage to the Almighty God, a worship to him alone as the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Ubiquitous, Absolute Being. Veneration is for the saints; adoration is for God and for God alone. Catholics do not adore Mary, but venerate Mary as the Theotokos.
Besides, when Catholics pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, they also ask for her favor, i.e., asking her to pray to her Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Eternal Father, in behalf of her children here on earth who are still battling for salvation. Mary, being the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be closest to her Son. Thus, she could plead with her Son in the same way she pleaded with him in the wedding at Cana.
Thus, the Flores de Mayo is one great honoring of Mary, for her Fiat, the Latin for “let it be done” according to the word of Angel Gabriel, announcing that she would bear a Son by the power of Holy Spirit (Mt.1:18; Lk.1:26-38).
Deo homnis honor et gloria!