May, the month dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God... the mother of all, to whom this land entrusts itself every day with a particular devotion.
In the Holy Land, where the sites and stones bear the memory of the events of Salvation, the city of Nazareth experiences in a particular way the memory of Mary during this month – the young woman who said her "yes" to the Lord right here, in what was then a small village, and who – after returning from the flight into Egypt - came to settle here with Joseph and Baby Jesus.
"The marian month is in the heart of every one" stresses Fr. Ricardo Bustos, Franciscan guardian of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Right here, on May 1, was celebrated the seventh anniversary of the Marian procession that joins every Saturday what Fr. Bustos calls the "two lungs" of this church ... the local Christian community and the many pilgrims. The tradition of the torchlight procession from the church of St. Joseph to the grotto of the Annunciation began on May 1 2005, shortly after the death of John Paul II.
And through the words of the homily delivered by the now blessed Pope during his visit to Nazareth in 2000, we are called to recognize in Mary the one who "more than anyone else can teach us what it means to live the faith. Mary must walk the dark, entrusting herself to the One who called her... but she is ready to answer 'yes’ despite the fears and uncertainties."