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 (thanks to Bernard Gallagher) |
December 8, 2010 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear Children! |
On this beautiful feast, we celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception. She was conceived in purity, free from all stain of original sin. And she cooperated with that sinless beginning the rest of her life by never sinning, not even once. Imagine that!
In the Liturgy of the Hours, in the Office of Readings for today there is an antiphon which reads:
"The Lord God said to the serpent: I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring; she will crush your head, alleluia."
It struck me today that Our Lady came into the world, immaculate and pure, but also in the midst of a battle. She had an enemy, from day one. God spoke the ancient prophecy from Genesis 3:15 directly to Satan. He knew that God was going to create a woman who would be his downfall. He had been waiting for her all that time, preparing to battle her. His hate for her must have been immense.
And so, from her earliest days, Our Lady knew how strong Satan is. She had experienced how he fights, his tactics and his ruthlessness. She watched him weave a web of hatred, envy and jealousy around her Son, Jesus, carefully pulling the threads together until there was no escape. She saw him whip the crowds up against Jesus, and incite the Roman soldiers to ever greater acts of cruelty. She saw him dance for glee as Jesus died on the cross. And she saw him utterly dismayed when Jesus sacked hell and then rose from the dead. She knows her enemy well. And she knows that now Satan is after her other children, hoping to snare as many souls as possible for spite.
Knowing this gives a deeper meaning to her words in this message from 1995. "Satan is strong and with all his forces wants to bring closer the most people possible to himself and to sin. That is why he is on the prowl to snatch more every moment. I beg you, little children, pray and help me to help you." Our Lady understands Satans tactics. She can help us in the battle we are now engaged in. She knows our enemy well. She wants to protect us and prepare us for battle.
"I am your mother and I love you and that is why I wish to help you." Our mother is the Immaculate Conception! She has triumphed over Satan with her Son. And she can help us to triumph as well. If we draw close to her Immaculate Heart, drawing strength from her love and wisdom from her humility, we will be able to stand firm in this time of battle. On this beautiful feast day, may we draw close to our Mother, the Immaculate Queen of Heaven and Earth!
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
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