May is the month we devote to Our Lady, and there are many ways in which we can honour her. One very beautiful custom is to do a pilgrimage to her, using our most powerful weapon; the rosary.
A pilgrimage to Our Lady normally involves the recitation of 3 rosaries. You can choose which mysteries you would like to mediate on for each rosary. Normally the second rosary uses the mysteries of the current day and is said in full (beginning with the Apostle’s Creed and ending with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary), while the first and third rosaries are only recited with the five decades.
If you are travelling to a nearby shrine, you can do the first rosary on your way there and while at the shrine, recite the second, leaving the third rosary for the journey home. You could also do the same if you have chosen to pilgrimage while taking a walk around your neighbourhood.
Invite a friend
Why not ask a friend to join you. Whether you decide to do your pilgrimage at home, travel to a nearby shrine, or pray while taking a walk in your neighborhood, having a friend join in is a great way to pray and meditate together.
Prepare your intentions
You can either dedicate the entire pilgrimage to one intention, or have a different intention for each decade of the rosary. Say them aloud before you begin so that while meditating on the mysteries, you can also have that particular intention in mind.
Bring some flowers
Another act of love for Our Lady is to lay some flowers before her. Whether you have a statue or image of her, or you are heading to a shrine, lay some flowers at her feet to show your devotion to her.
Do as many as you like!
The beauty of a May pilgrimage is that it’s a wonderful opportunity to pray with friends. If you have a particular friend going through a hard time, it’s the perfect way to give your support and encourage him/her.
If you are staying home to do your pilgrimage, you can simply sit in front of an image of Our Lady, focusing on her. Alternatively, you can choose to visit some Marian sites virtually from the options below.
Take a virtual tour around the Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe.
Tune in to the live stream of the grotto itself available 24/7.
Continuous broadcasting available from the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima.
Take a virtual tour of the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto.
Live footage of the Our Lady of Lujan Basilica in Buenos Aires.