May 2025: Prayers and Reflections
Prayers and Reflections for May 2025
The Pope’s Monthly Intention
For working conditions: Let us pray that through work, each person might find fulfilment, families might be sustained in dignity, and that society might be humanised.
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St Joseph the worker • Memorial 1 May
Two Prayers for Workers
O God, the creator of all things, who formed the law of labor for the human race, graciously grant that by merits and patronage of St Joseph, we may do the work You assign us and earn the reward You promise. Through our Lord, Jesus.
Lord God, You have created all things and imposed on man the necessity of work. Grant that, following Joseph’s example, and under his protection, we may accomplish the works You give us and obtain the rewards You promise. This we ask through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
josephites.org
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‘Be always beginning. Let the past go. The saints were always beginning. That is how they became saints.’—Blessed John Sullivan
Known for his commitment to prayer, spirit of prayer and penance, and boundless charity, Blessed John Sullivan died on 19 February 1933. Memorial 8 May.
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Prayer to the Virgin Mary for the Month of May
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.
O Star of the Sea, help me and show me,
That you are my Mother and my protector.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and Earth,
I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart
To aid me in my need.
(Mention your intention here, if desired.)
This prayer can be recited daily during May, accompanied by the Rosary or other Marian devotions, such as the Litany of Loreto or the Magnificat. Many also offer flowers, candles, or other symbols of love and devotion to Mary during this month. May is a beautiful time to deepen your relationship with the Blessed Mother and seek her intercession in your life.
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Saint Rita of Cascia • Memorial 22 May
Known as the ‘Patron Saint of Impossible Causes,’ is revered for her deep faith, perseverance, and miraculous intercessions. She lived in the 14th and 15th centuries and is often invoked for her ability to bring hope in seemingly hopeless situations.
‘There is nothing impossible to God. There is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the power of God.’
‘If you desire to be loved, love. If you desire to be forgiven, forgive. If you desire to be understood, understand.’
‘Prayer is the key that opens the heart of God.’
‘Hope is the anchor of the soul, the stimulus to action, and the incentive to achievement.’
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Prayer for the Church in China • 24 May
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and forever.
Amen!
Pope Benedict XVI
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St Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Montini
Memorial 29 May
Known for his deep spirituality and commitment to modernising the Church while maintaining its traditions. His teachings continue to inspire many, particularly his emphasis on social justice, human dignity, and the importance of faith in the modern world.
On Peace:
‘If you want peace, work for justice.’
This quote emphasizes the connection between justice and lasting peace, a theme he often highlighted during his papacy.
On Evangelisation:
‘Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.’
From his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, stressing the importance of living one’s faith authentically.
On Hope:
‘The Church is alive. And the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future.’
A reminder of the Church’s enduring vitality and hope for the future.
On Suffering:
‘Suffering is somehow the inheritance of those who strive for the highest and most noble goals.’
Reflecting his understanding of suffering as part of the human journey toward holiness.