This morning, I, along with several other members of the Szent László community, traveled to Máriapócs, a small szabolcsi town of grand national importance for our Catholic faith. We carried with us ribbons bearing the school’s name that will be carried even further, beyond Hungary’s borders and through Transylvania to Csíksomlyó for its famous Pentecost celebration. While we will not be able to attend as pilgrims this year, these simple ribbons attached to a crucifix alongside those of other schools and parishes of the county, will represent us there. At the magnificent Greek Catholic church in Máriapócs, we were treated to a brief performance by Molnár Levente, a renowned international Transylvanian opera singer, dressed in full regalia of the Hungarian middle ages.
From Máriapócs, we set out in the rain by foot, headed toward the Romanian border in Vállaj, where the crucifix and its ribbons would continue their pilgrimage east. The rain was a pleasant drizzle. A Szent László student noted to me that spring rain can be a sign of hope. He taught me a new Hungarian phrase: “májusi eső aranyat ér”. I in turn taught him a similar phrase we use in the United States: “April showers bring May flowers”.
Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, our little group of pilgrims walked about ten kilometers along the Mária Út, or Road of Mary. I was reminded of how we are called, especially during this month of May – the month of Mary – to walk with Mary our mother. At the very end of our Lord’s life, as he hung upon the cross, he gave us his mother to be our own spiritual mother. As it is written in the Gospel of John, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26-27). May we, who – like John – are also disciples whom Jesus loves, accept Mary into our heart as our mother and allow her to be our consolation and guide both in times of joy and in times of uncertainty. We can never love our Blessed Mother too much. After all, we will never love her more than Jesus does. Our love for Mary will always lead us closer to Jesus. There is nothing she desires more from us than for us to be more united with her son. As Mary says at the wedding feast at Cana, the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry: “do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). May we all grow closer to our mother Mary this May. A wonderful way to do this is through devotion to the rosary. Pope Francis has called on us, in a special way during these difficult times, to pray the rosary every day this month for an end to Covid throughout the world. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!
Luke Larson, native speaker at Szent László
