Month of May in Honor of Mary (Day 8)
May 08, 2026
Day 8
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (7:10-14; 8:10c)
The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Immanuel, which means “With us is God!”
From an Advent sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Wherefore the Prophet says, “the Lord himself shall give you a sign.” a sign resplendent alike with majesty and love. “ Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which is interpreted, God with us. O Adam ! flee not away, for God is with us ! Fear not, O man, nor be afraid to hear His name ; it is “ God with us/ With us in the likeness of our nature ; with us for our service and for our profit. For us He is come as one of us, passible like unto us.
And now let us turn to the honey. Our bee feeds among lilies, and dwells in the flowery country of the angels. This bee flew to the city of Nazareth, which is, interpreted, a flower ; He came to the sweet-smelling flower of perpetual virginity ; He settled upon it, He clove to it. But bees, besides their sweet honey, have likewise their sharp sting. The
Prophet that sang of the mercy and judgment of the Lord, knew that this bee had a sting as well as honey. Nevertheless, when He descended to us He brought honey only that is, mercy, not judgment so that to the disciples who wished to call down fire from heaven on the cities that would not receive Him, He answered : “ The Son of Man is not come to judge the world, but to save it.” Our bee had no sting in His mortal life ; amid the extremity of insult He showed mercy, not judgment. Christ, then, may be symbolized both as a bee and as the flower springing from the rod. And, as we know, the rod is the Virgin Mother of God.
This flower, the Son of the Virgin, is “ white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.” It is the flower on which the angels desire to look, the flower whose perfume shall revive the dead, the flower, as He Himself declares, of the field, not of the garden. This flower grew and flourished in the field independent of all human culture ; unsown by the hand of man, untilled by the spade, or fattened by moisture. So did the womb of Mary blossom.
It is now surely clear how the Virgin is the royal way by which the Saviour has drawn near to us, coming forth from her womb as a Bridegroom from His bridal chamber. Holding on, therefore, to this way, let us endeavour to ascend to Him by her, through Whom He descended to us ; let us seek His grace through her by whom He came to succour
our need.
O blessed finder of grace ! Mother of life ! Mother of salvation ! may we through thee have access to thy Son, that through thee we may be received by Him Who through thee was given to us. May thy integrity and purity excuse before Him the stain of our corruption ; may thy humility, so pleasing to God, obtain from Him the pardon of our vanity. May thy abundant charity cover the multitude of our iniquity, and thy glorious fruitfulness supply
our indigence of merits. Our Lady, our Mediatrix, our Advocate, reconcile us to thy Son, commend us to thy Son, present us to thy Son. By the grace thou hast found, by the prerogative thou didst merit, by the mercy thou didst bring forth, obtain, O blessed one, that He Who vouchsafed to become partaker of our infirmity and misery, may, through thy intercession, make us partakers of His blessedness and glory, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, Who is God blessed above all for evermore. Amen.
Musical Selection
Holy Mother of our Savior
The Spirit dwells in you
Oh how great is your beauty
and the grace bestowed on you.
Holy Mother of our savior
Blessed are you
from among all women
God has chosen you.
O Blessed Mary, your faith is everlasting
remaining ever virgin, your heart immaculate.
O Blessed Mary, Mother of God
Lead us with your gentle hand
to Christ His only son.
Prayer
O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary
bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation,
grant, we pray,
that we may experience the intercession of her,
through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life,
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Mother of the Savior)
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.