A Spiritual Bouquet to Our Blessed Mother

from respectlife.org/may

May has traditionally been observed as a month dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It is also the month in which we celebrate our earthly mothers through the observance of Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day provides a beautiful opportunity to pray for all mothers, including those facing an unexpected pregnancy. However, it can be a difficult holiday for many, including those struggling with infertility, those who have lost children, and those who have lost their own mothers.

This activity seeks to lift up the many intentions laid on our hearts by the observance of Mother’s Day and offer them to Our Blessed Mother, during the month honoring her. It also provides a way to give thanks for her maternal love and care for us.

On the weekend of Mother’s Day, family members are invited to write a prayer intention on a slip of paper and offer it, along with a flower or some other type of offering, if possible, to Our Lady. While there are many options for adapting or carrying out this activity, the purpose is to present a spiritual bouquet to Our Lady, by placing the intentions and flowers or hand-made/colored pictures beneath a statue, icon, or image of the Blessed Mother. 

When the activity is complete, you will have a bouquet of intentions and thanksgiving offered at the feet of Our Lady. This offering can remain for the next week or two and serve as a visual reminder of the powerful intercession and love of Mary, Our Mother.

Materials

• Flowers, greenery, or some other type of small gift like paper flowers or hearts Small note cards or slips of paper
• Pens, crayons, or markers
• Small basket or other container to hold the prayer intentions
• Vase of water (if using fresh flowers or greenery)
• Statue, icon, or image of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Free printable for kids to color)
• Copies of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life

This activity can also be completed without flowers or any other type of gift. Simply place your written intentions in a basket before the designated statue or image of Our Lady. Or, you could draw a flower or another image next to your prayer intention on the paper. If you don’t have any of these in your home, find an image online to display on a computer or other type of screen.

Directions

1. Gather your materials. Look around your own yard for flowers or greenery that might be available.
2. Set up a small table for your Marian spiritual bouquet. Place on the table your statue or image of Our Lady with a small basket for prayer intentions and a vase with water or other receptacle for your little gifts. Have writing utensils and something to write on available nearby.
3. Invite household family members to participate in the spiritual bouquet. Participants can write down on the notecards or slips of paper what they would like to ask Our Blessed Mother to intercede for. They can then be invited to place their prayer intentions in the basket, as well as to place their flowers or other gifts in the vase or other receptacle in thanks for Our Lady’s maternal love and care.
4. When all participants have presented their prayer intentions and gifts to Our Lady, offer a closing prayer of your choosing. Some options include A Prayer for Pregnant Mothers or the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life. Or, you could take it a step further, and go through the May issue of Pray for Life.
5. Encourage family members to pray throughout the week for all the intercessions placed under the care of Our Blessed Mother.

The purpose of this activity is to seek the intercession of Our Blessed Mother for all the intentions of our hearts, related to the observance of Mother’s Day, as well as to thank her for her motherly love for us. Assess what works best for your circumstances and make adaptations or changes as needed!

Download a printable PDF of these instructions.