The month of May is when the Virgin Mary is honored by Catholics around the world. And the faithful have come up with some ingenious ways to share their love and devotion for the mother of Jesus.
In Lebanon, there is a particularly fitting tribute to the Blessed Virgin that takes place on the final Sunday of May to round off the monthly devotion. It’s an annual tradition in which the army cover the statue of Our Lady of Lebanon in flower petals.
Although in some countries firefighters scale huge ladders to crown a statue of Mary with flowers, and just recently in Poland a devout man created a huge floating rosary at sea, in Lebanon the army takes to the skies.
In the action-packed post shared by eastern Christians, you can see the military operation that is worthy of appearing in a blockbuster hit.
With the helicopter hovering over the beautiful statue, crowds gather to see the petals fall from the sky to shower the Virgin Mary.
The statue itself tops the popular Marian shrine, Our Lady of Harissa. Completed in 1904, it belongs to the Maronite Church — a branch of Eastern Catholicism in communion with the Pope — and weighs an incredible 15 tons. With her arms outstretched to the people of Beirut, it isn’t a surprise that millions of faithful flock to visit the shrine each year.
If you take a look at the short video you’ll see just how joyful an occasion this unusual flower delivery provides. And it is this unifying moment that demonstrates just one of the many beauties that comes from honoring Our Lady.
And today we celebrate...