Starting the ''Hail Mary', is a bit like entering the hallway of some great palace, the palace in this case being that of the Queen of Heaven. So we notice in the first half of the prayer we are composing ourselves and placing our selves in talking to and petitioning the Mother of God Mary most Holy. So realising were we are we place ourselves in a proper prayerful frame of mind for the requests to follow. To do so we walk into Her August Presence with the angels, in this case with the Arcangel Gabriel mirroring what happened in Scripture when he , one of the Seven Spirits that stand at the throne of God descended from heaven to greet a little maid in Galillee. One of the criticisms of those who say the rosary and of those who use formal prayers like the Hail Mary is to quote scripture: Mat 6:7-8 (Phi) "And when you pray don't rattle off long prayers like the pagans who think they will be heard because they use so many words. Don't be like them. For your Father knows your needs before you ask him." ...and to suppose, like the prophets of Baal we are just going through the motions: 1 Kings 18:25-40 (NIV) Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "..Since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no-one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench round it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!" Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. In fact there is some merit in this criticism and I think we should take it seriously . I recall a few years back when I visited Medugorje I watched as one of the visionaries there, Mirjana had an apparition of Our Lady. I think before such apparitions they always say the rosary. You can probably watch such an event on utube if you lie and its well worth the watching as it teaches us a whole lot about saying the rosary and the 'Hail Mary'. The prayers are said very slowly and thoughtfully. Of to put it another way, the folks put their whole hearts and souls into them, particularly the visionary as she knows very well that the Queen of Heaven is just about to turn up on her doorstep. For us, with the eyes of faith , when we say the Hail Mary its just the same thing. None of our prayers are unanswered, none disregarded, but the prayer that is listened to in heaven is the prayer of the heart, THE PRAYER WE PUT OUR WHOLE HEARTS INTO. Now, imagine for a second we are walking round the corner for an audience with the Queen of Heaven. We buy new cloths, we get our hair done we think a lot about what we are going to say we just get ourselves ready. Now imagine we skip round, day dreaming our hearts and our thoughts a million miles away, we talk to the Queen, looking like a tramp and she can tell quite well that though our body is there everything else is a million miles away. Well I'll tell you a secret about all this , Mary is surrounded by angels and saints and the angels are the executors of the will of God. God chooses as does the Queen of Angels to execute their will and the angels are not really all that happy about folks who don't put their hearts were their prayers are and we cannot expect that prayers that are really shooting a lot of hot air are going to go down too well with these very Holy Spirits. As Jesus said; Matthew 15:8 ) 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. But God goes on to reassure us in the Psalm: 19: 'A humble and a contrite heart, oh Lord, you will not spurn' ...and this is why we get so many and wonderful answers to prayers from folks in distress, their backs are to the walls and they cry out to the Lord in their hour of need and he answers them. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles. 18 The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent. Psalms 34:15-18 We see this in the story of all who walk in the path of prayer. In the Life for instance of John Newton, a slave trader who prayed to God for mercy during a great storm and was rescued, when God heard his prayer when the storm receded. 'Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. ' John, of course went on to write a great hymn in praise of the God, in answer to prayers from the heart, who saved him: "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.... I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see. T'was Grace that taught... my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear... the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares... we have already come. T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far... and Grace will lead us home. By the way if you ever have a spare moment go into Utube and listen to Leanna Rimes singing this, wonderful. So the construction of the Hail Mary is just no accident, we gotten ready in the words of this great prayer to enter the Chambers of the Great Queen of Heaven with a wonderful angel to accompany us and teach us how to pray, with humble, contrite and prayerful hearts. Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now notice at once with what awe this very,very great angelic Spirit, come right down from heaven uses in addressing this young girl!! "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" So at once this prayer tries to knock open the shut door of our hearts and reminds us of just who we are dealing with here. Try this if you like, go in your heart to Nazareth, you have just flown down form Heaven at the orders of the Most High God and you're standing right in front of this poor little Virgin and what do you see, like Gabriel cry out in awe and fall down on your knees in the presence of the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and the angels!!! Pope St. Gregory's Homily on the Angel Gabriel And so not any Angel but the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary; for this ministry, it was fitting to have the highest Angel, since he was to announce the greatest news of all. Gabriel was sent to Mary; he who is called "Strength of God" came to announce Him who deigned to appear in humility to conquer the powers of the air.
I know a lot of Protestants who are hostile toward the rosary and the Hail Mary prayer. When I tell them that means they're hostile toward Scripture and the idea of Christians praying for one another, they're like HUH? Then I point out the first half of the Hail Mary is taken directly from Scripture and the second part asks the Mother of God to pray for us, so what's their problem? They usually can't defend their position, so they'll find something else they don't understand to attack. It's humorous at times, but mostly distrubing how ignorant people hate what they don't understand. Love your insights about the Hail Mary, Padraig. It's amazing to think about the highest angel Hailing one of us, our very own mother. How good our God is!
Too see her Deanna,, as the phrase goes is to know she is,' to die for'.... :wink: O most sacred Virgin Mary, O Queen of Angels, how beautiful, accomplished, and perfect, has Heaven made thee! O that I could appear to God as thou appearest to me. Thou art so beautiful and gracious that with thy beauty thou ravishest hearts. When thou art seen, everything appears deformed, all beauty is eclipsed, every grace is lost sight of; as the stars disappear at the rising of the sun. When thy tenderly devoted servant, Saint John Damascene, contemplated thee, and when he saw that thou wast so beautiful, it seemed to him that thou hadst taken the flower and that which was best in every creature, and therefore he called thee "the loveliness of nature," the grace and comeliness of every creature. Saint Augustine, the bright light of doctors, contemplated thee, and thou didst appear to him so fair and beautiful, that he called thee the countenance of God, and it did not seem to him adulation. Thy devout son Albert the Great contemplated thee, and to him it seemed that all the graces and gifts which were in the most celebrated women of the old dispensation, were all in a much higher degree in thee: the golden mouth of Sarah, which, smiling, rejoices Heaven and earth; the sweet and tender look of the faithful Lia, with which thou didst soften the heart of God, hardened against sinners; the splendor of countenance of the beautiful Rachel, for with thy beauty thou dost eclipse the sun; the grace and demeanor of the discreet Abigail, by which thou didst appease an angry God; the vivacity and strength of the valiant Judith, for by thy power and thy grace thou dost subdue the most ferocious hearts. In fine, O sovereign Princess, from the immense ocean of thy beauty the beauty and grace of all creatures flowed forth as rivers. The sea learnt to curl its waves, and to wave its crystal waters from thy golden hair, which gracefully floated over thy shoulders and ivory neck. The crystal fountains and their transparent depths learnt their tranquil and steady flow from the serenity of thy beautiful brow and placid countenance. The lovely rainbow, when in full beauty, learnt with studious care its graceful bend from thy eyebrows, thus better to send forth its rays of light. The morning star itself, and the sweet star of night, are sparks from thy beautiful eyes. The white lilies and ruby roses stole their colors from thy lovely cheeks. Envious purple and coral sigh for the color of thy lips. The most delicious milk and sweetest honey are distillations from the sweet honeycomb of thy mouth. The scented jasmine and fragrant Damasc rose stole their perfume from thy breath. The loftiest cedar and the most erect, the fairest cypress, were happy when they beheld their image in thy erect and lofty neck. The palm tree, emulous and jealous, likened itself to thy noble stature. In fine, O Lady, every created beauty is a shadow and trace of thy beauty. And thus I wonder not, O sovereign Princess, that Heaven and earth place themselves under thy feet; for such are they, and thou art so great, that to he only under thy feet enriches them, and they esteem themselves happy and blessed in kissing them. Thus did the moon rejoice when the evangelist Saint John saw her under thy feet, and the sun increased in splendor when it clothed thee with its rays of light. The Evangelist, blinded by the brilliancy of thy light, was lost in wonder and ravished out of himself at the sight of so stupendous a miracle of beauty, in which the beauty of Heaven and earth was concentrated, and he said, "There appeared a great sign in Heaven." A great miracle appeared in the heavens-----a miracle which filled the Angels with astonishment, and caused the earth to tremble. That miracle was, a woman clothed from head to foot in light and splendor. The resplendent Sun itself chose her for His Mother, and placed Himself in her womb; the fair moon covers her feet as sandals edged with silver; a multitude of stars crown her brow, and, emulating one with another, bind her locks together, and form upon her head a diadem of precious gems: "and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Thus, O most sacred Virgin, the Saints, considering thee in the midst of such splendor more beautiful than the sun, and more fair than the moon, which are the ornament and concentration of all beauty; and considering the acclamations of joy which attend thee in Heaven, can never cease their astonishment at thy beauty, and can only exclaim and burst forth in acclamation of wonder and astonishment. Saint Peter Damian exclaims in his admiration, "O holy and most holy of all Saints, richest treasure of all sanctity." Saint Bernard: "O admirable Virgin, O woman honor of all women, the best, the greatest that the world ever possessed. Saint Epiphanius: "O heaven, greater and vaster than the heavens themselves; O Virgin, truly full of grace." And the Catholic Church, in the name of all, exclaims, "O most clement, most pious, and most sweet Virgin Mary." And I also, O heavenly Princess, with thy permission, although I am the least of thy servants, I will also make my acclamations of wonder and astonishment. O gracious and beautiful heaven, more vast than the heavens themselves, for they cannot contain God, Who is immense, but He concealed Himself in thy womb; O richest of all treasures, in which was deposited the treasure of our redemption; O Mother of sinners, under whose mantle we are defended; O consolation of the world, in which all who are afflicted, infirm, and disconsolate, find consolation; O beautiful eyes, which steal hearts; O coral lips, which imprison souls; O generous hands, filled with lilies, and which always distribute graces; O pure creature, who appearest a God, and whom I should have taken for a God, had not faith taught me that thou art not so, although thou hast a splendor, and I know not what of Divine sovereignty; O great Lady, empress of Heaven, enjoy for a thousand eternities the greatness of thy state, the immensity of thy greatness, and the happiness of thy glory. We only beseech thee, O compassionate Mother, not to forget us, who glory in being thy servants and children. And since in thee are deposited all graces, and the best and most privileged of all created things, grant, O Lady, that we, thy devout children, may be favored more beyond comparison than are all other men on earth. The whole world should know that the dear children of Mary are the best of Heaven and earth: they are the spoilt children, who enjoy all the choicest possessions of their Mother; they are the beloved Benjamins, who being caressed in the bosom of the Queen of Heaven, are doubly favored and doubly caressed by the Majesty of God. This I hope, O most beautiful Rachel; and this I am confident that thou wilt do, O sovereign Princess. In the name of what thou art, do it; for all Heaven prostrate at thy feet beseeches thee, and with importunity asks it of thee. Say only yes, pronounce only a loving consent; be it done, be it done, fiat, fiat! O men, of what are you thinking? How can you love earthly, deceitful, and lying creatures, which betray you and cause you to lose your souls, your bodies, Paradise, and God! And why do you not love the most loving, the most amiable, the most faithful Mary, who, after having enriched you with consolations and graces in this life, will obtain you from her Divine beloved Son the eternal glory of Paradise? O Mary, Mary, more beautiful than all creatures, lovely after Jesus above all loves, more dear than all created things, gracious above every grace, pity this miserable heart of mine; miserable because it does not love thee; and it ought to love thee. Thou canst inflame it with thy holy love. Turn, O Mary, thy loving eyes upon me; look at me, and draw me to thee; and grant that after God I may love no other but thee, most gracious, most amiable Mary, Mother of Jesus, and my Mother. Source: THE GLORIES OF MARY, St. Alphonsus Liguori, TAN BOOKS.
Padraig, you always find the most beautiful pictures of Our Lady to post here. If I may ask, what one do you think comes the closest to the way she appeared to you in prison?
Saint Bernadette picked a little picture by an artist from ,I think Brittany in France. It was from the school on Impressionism. In other words the artist sees things from the heart. I must try to find it on the internet. That was the most like. But there is a picture I sent to Mary inspired by a visionary in Dublin and in a thing called 'The little blue book...that is very like it to. I must have a look on the internet for them.
Padraig, I found the Little Blue Book and have been using it and love it. It's one of my favorite daily treats. In fact I just ordered more because I think so many people would benefit from it as well. It's as though Our Lady whispers her love just to me. What a gift indeed.
It kinda scares me at the minute, Gael because when I try to open the little book every day at random it always opens at the same page and the reading is a rebuke ... a well deserved rebuke too!! :roll: I like this: http://frpat.com/want2change.htm
Wow! There's so much information there. I like the idea of interchangeable defects, if one doesn't fit the next one will :wink: So Far Our Lady has been encouraging and uplifting towards me, but I'm like a toddler sometimes and need handrails to keep the motion going forward. She knows that.
...and so , like the angel we say Ava Maria!! Hail Mary!!..and stand in the presence of the Queen of Heaven. But not only the Queen of Angels but the Mother of God and our mother too!! So that there is a kind of dual deal here, there is the respect and veneration shown by someone so small as ourselves, but because Mary is our mother too, we are children of Mary, Princes and Princesses of heaven if you like and so there is a real warmth and love her ..an intimacy and trust. a love like no other. I think this hallway of the prayer is so important, it is the footsteps of faith the entrance place to miracles and prayer being answered. For it is not that heaven does not listen to us for HEAVEN ALWAYS LISTENS. We have the promise of Christ Himself on this, the promise of God Himself. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 2:14). · And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13). · If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). · Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full (John 16:27). The difficulty comes when we do not have this loving attentiveness this loving gaze for this is the hallway we are asked to tread/. For love is a two way act. Now say we ask for something that is really good for us, a grace that would help us grow in love. But we do so idly without this loving attention. Say too that even though the prayer was very ,very imperfect God granted our prayer and the grace was given. We would be like little children whose arms were not open to receive this gift. For grace requires humilty in order to be received and, if given this gift we would steal it and think it was just our own doing. If however we walk down the hallway which the Hail Mary leads us too we do so in the full knowledge we are petitioners and do so with a good, humble and loving heart. Thus are little arms are open to what we might be given. We come as children, not as thieves. The kind of people Saint James warns us about: James 4:2d-3 [2d] You do not have, because you do not ask God. [3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Notice in the Hail Mary it is broken down into two parts. When we say the rosary in groups one party says one half and the other the other, Thus; Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. and we reply Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen. Now this natural breaking of the Hail Mary into two parts is no accident. On the first part we stand with the angels in the presence of Mary admiring her, praising her but most importantly placing ourselves in the loving presence in faith with the Queen of Heaven. Reminding ourselves who we are and who she is as it were, setting the stage. But now, as it were, the angels step aside and we stand on our own two feet, move forward, kneel down and make our petitions. The first great petition is , pray for us sinners now, In this , by saying we are sinners we place all our needs in front of Mary. Its a catch all prayer.We're saying we are very small children in total need. Its a prayer of great humilty, of great faith and of great trust, There is no big shopping list here for we're asking mary to turn her eyes of Mercy towards us and being our Mother we know she'll take of the rest. But I think its the second great petition that folks these days do not pay enough attention too. Listen to it... and at the hour of death. There was a time in the not so long ago when much of Catholic Spirituality hinged on encouraging people to concentrate on the three Last Things. Death, the Last Judgement and Heaven or Hell. Not so nowadays, I think I was a child the last time I heard a sermon about any of these things. Yet in the Hail Mary preparation for these Last three things form one of the only two petitions in the whole of this prayer. The first Petition is a catch all petition covering all the bases if you like. THE SECOND PETITION IS NOT GENERAL , HOWEVER IT IS VERY, VERY SPECIFIC. I think this is very important to understand and bear in mind when we say this prayer and the rosary for it is one of the main reasons why so many souls in our present days have lost their way and so many souls are being lost and going to hell. Why, we should ask ourselves do we ask so specifically and so often for Mary to pray for us at this special time.......... when we are dying? Not only this but we taught to make this request over and over again from we are very small children. How may times in our lives to we make this request of Mary if we pray, a million times, ten million? Yet how many times do any of us ever real think about the words.... Mary reminds us of the importance of the three last things at many of the apparition sites, notably Fatima: *The Terrifying Vision of Hell, July 13th, 1917 Our Lady told the Children, "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially when you make some sacrifice: `O Jesus, it is for Thy love, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." Lucia Santos then narrates what happened next: “She opened Her hands once more, as She had done the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. That vision only lasted for a moment, thanks to our good Heavenly Mother, Who at the first apparition had promised to take us to Heaven. Without that, I think that we would have died of terror and fear." Our Lady then gravely spoke these words: "You see Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them God wishes to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If they do what I will tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace... But if they do not stop offending God... He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, of hunger, and of persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father." .and again at the same place: Our Lady's words to Jacinta Marto shortly before the little seer died: "More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." and "Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Divine Lord very much."
Paidraig, Thanks for the thread; there's such much food for thought. The above section jumped out at me today. I was talking with my youngest daughter, Therese, about the ease with which she falls into sin. She is so disappointed with herself! I reminded her of the great turning point in my life back in the '70s when the Lord's mercy and love became very tangible in my life. It was a time of intense conversion. But then I sadly admitted that, in spite of such a great grace, I had fallen into mortal sin on several occasions since then! To experience the love of God, and still rebel; preposterous, yet true! And so what remains for this weak son to do, but cry out to heaven for the grace of final perseverance. And who better to join me before the Throne of God, but the purest, most singlehearted of all Mothers, Mary! It is so crucial that we recognize our frailty and yet the hope each of us possess in Christ! ..pray for this sinner, now and at the hour of his death, Amen! The sorrow... Lk 23:61-62 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly! Yet the hope...[Jesus to Peter] Lk 22:32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. St. Peter, Rock of the Church, pray for us!
Padraig -- Thanks for the lovely reflections on the Hail Mary. It is such a beautiful prayer and, from childhood, has always been one of my favorites. I am not sure what this has to do with anything, but I have found myself reciting the Hail Mary a lot lately. Anytime that I have a spare moment- in line at the grocery store, waiting for a client at work, during commercials on TV, etc..., I find myself reciting the Hail Mary, which is not something that I typically did in the past. In light of your reflections, I wonder if maybe my Guardian Angel or the Spirit is prompting me to say those prayers because ours is truly a world that needs Mary's intercession and protection!
Yes Terry, I think it will be the greatest reassurance when we die to recall the number of numbers we have prayed the 'Hail Mary' through our lives. I love the bit in the film, 'The Song of Bernadette' were she is on her death bed and Our Lady appears and Bernadette dies with a smile. I'd say one sure bet if we say the rosary Our lady will be there as we face Satan in Battle for the very last time. And if Mary stands with us, who can stand against us ?? "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, May I die in peace with Thee."
Yes. BC, I think you are right. Saying a Hail Mary is very powerful against Satan and a great antidote against the fog of lies surrounding us at the present time. Not least from the lies of those who should be our shepherds but lead the flock further into the mists and fogs that surround us. As the Prophet Zechariah warned many thousands of years ago, the Spirit of the anti Christ who brings the fog of darkness to men's minds: Zechariah 11:15-17. , "The Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd; for, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit those that are cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which standeth still, but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws [hoofs] in pieces. Woe to the idol [false] shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be completely dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened." Notice these words in particular: .............and his right eye shall be utterly darkened In John 5:43 Jesus says and in this saying I think is thinking directly of Zechariah, talking of our days; "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." So that the words of the 'Hail Mary' are a slap in the face to us to wake us up from our sleep. They are the true antidote to the poison we are being fed even by those who should be feeding us the Words of Life. How so? Well if we do as Jesus and Mary have asked us to and read the Signs of the Times, I believe we have an insight. “Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, ‘When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?’ Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.’” Matthew 24:3-8 ..and as perfect a description of our days as ever crossed pen: “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But notice this last phrase , which describes the False Shepherds who have entered the Sheepfold, even our own dear Church: '...........They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.' So that instead of the Spirit of God they have inherited the mantle of the anti Christ the very opposite of the path in which Mary wishes to lead us. For them life is pretty well all there is. It starts out by rejecting the existence both of hell and of Satan. Small enough things to say many might suppose. But when these pillars are knocked down the whole temple of our faith falls too. For life becomes not a real choice but really irrelevant. These is no real struggle for there is no real choice. There is no such thing as real evil , everything can, at the end of the day be, 'fixed up'. If we make a mess of things in this life, since there is no hell , all can be sorted out in the next. Since there is no real choice that matters what we do now does not matter since it can somehow be sorted out in the hereafter. Nor does it matter what Church or Faith we belong to since we can sort that out too. So our shepherds feed us poison and we wonder why are Churches are empty, our young abandon the Faith of our Fathers, are religious houses are desolate and sin is every where, even in the Church itself rampant. If anyone doubts this ask yourself when you heard a sermon that cuts to the chase on Sin, hell or the devil, that focus's on the miraculous or the supernatural. The eye is darkened, as Zechariah warned and so the prophetic tongue is silenced. But through it all a trumpet sound comes the sound of the Bells of the Angelus, the Hail Mary, sounding the alarum. "We have the impression that through some cracks in the wall the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God: it is doubt, uncertainty, questioning, dissatisfaction, confrontation.... We thought that after the Council a day of sunshine would have dawned for the history of the Church. What dawned, instead, was a day of clouds and storms, of darkness, of searching and uncertainties. [Pope Paul VI, June 29, 1972, Homily during the Mass for Sts. Peter & Paul, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his coronation]
Padraig, At last I got to read your thread on the Hail Mary and it deserves to be put in a pamphlet as it has really helped me to pay more attention to the prayer and meditate on the deeper meanings. I also love the special picture of Mary that you sent me at Christmas and I have since got copies of the little blue book 'All Through Mary'. I really love this book and now every day I read what Our Lay wants me to think about or if she wishes to console me. This book is a real treasure. I am getting some of the images she gave to the visionary framed at the moment to give to others. Our Lady has made several promises about this but the one I really liked is that the faith of any place that venerates her image will not be overthrown in the dark trial that is facing us. They had this book at the Divine Mercy Conference in Dublin. I was talking to one of the volunteers and discovered that the visionary who remains incognito is a man and the volunteer told me he is a regular 'joe soap'. He is under the direction of the Archdioces of Dublin and specifically Fr Cathal Price who heads up the Divine Mercy organisation in Ireland. He still is receiving messages from Our Lady and Jesus also, but The Archdioces will not allow them to be published at this time. The woman in England who promotes the book has been chosen for this task and lives solely on the Eucharist but she is not the visionary. I have also given copies of the book to my 2 daughters and they love it. God bless Mary
I am so glad you and yours like the book. I have grown to love it more and more, the messages are so...well I can easily believe they come straight from Mary. I have found them most especially good in times of trouble or indecision. The little blue book is the first thing I reach for. Funny, such a little thing, a small little book
I think a lot of clues to the importance of praying for a happy death, for the presence of Mary at our death beds come from the lives of the martyrs, the Fathers of the Desert and the deaths of the saints. I think one of the things that stunned the pagan Romans was the fact that Christians went to their deaths not only accepting but actually happy and singing. In the lives of the martyrs we see them singing in their cells under the amphitheaters and even mothers and fathers walking out with joy to their deaths, even leading their children by the hands. Like the story of Saint Perpetua, a young noblewoman, mother of only 22, nursing a small infant, who was recently baptized and who was granted a vision by God and so went joyusly to her death. In the year 203, Vibia Perpetua made the decision to become a Christian, although she knew it could mean her death during Septimus' persecution. Her surviving brother (another brother had died when he was seven) followed her leadership and became a catechumen as well. Her father was frantic with worry and tried to talk her out of her decision. We can easily understand his concern. At 22 years old, this well-educated, high-spirited woman had every reason to want to live -- including a baby son who was still nursing. We know she was married, but since her husband is never mentioned, many historians assume she was a widow. Perpetua's answer was simple and clear. Pointing to a water jug, she asked her father, "See that pot lying there? Can you call it by any other name than what it is?" Her father answered, "Of course not." Perpetua responded, "Neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am -- a Christian." The story is told by Tertullian, one of the Church Fathers. CHAPTER I WHEN THE SAINTS WERE APPREHENDED, ST. PERPETUA SUCCESSFULLY RESISTED HER FATHER'S PLEADING, WAS BAPTIZED WITH THE OTHERS, WAS THRUST INTO A FILTHY DUNGEON. ANXIOUS ABOUT HER INFANT, BY A VISION GRANTED TO HER, SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT HER MARTYRDOM WOULD TAKE PLACE VERY SHORTLY. 1. The young catechumens, Revocatus and his fellow-servant Felicitas, Saturninus and Secundulus, were apprehended. And among them also was Vivia Perpetua, respectably born, liberally educated, a married matron, having a father and mother and two brothers, one of whom, like herself, was a catechumen, and a son an infant at the breast. She herself was about twenty-two years of age. From this point onward she shall herself narrate the whole course of her martyrdom, as she left it described by her own hand and with her own mind. 2. "While" says she, "we were still with the persecutors, and my father, for the sake of his affection for me, was persisting in seeking to turn me away, and to cast me down from the faith — 'Father,' said I, 'do you see, let us say, this vessel lying here to be a little pitcher, or something else?' And he said, 'I see it to be so.' And I replied to him, 'Can it be called by any other name than what it is?' And he said, 'No.' 'Neither can I call myself anything else than what I am, a Christian.' Then my father, provoked at this saying, threw himself upon me, as if he would tear my eyes out. But he only distressed me, and went away overcome by the devil's arguments. Then, in a few days after I had been without my father, I gave thanks to the Lord; and his absence became a source of consolation to me. In that same interval of a few days we were baptized, and to me the Spirit prescribed that in the water baptism nothing else was to be sought for bodily endurance. After a few days we are taken into the dungeon, and I was very much afraid, because I had never felt such darkness. O terrible day! O the fierce heat of the shock of the soldiery, because of the crowds! I was very unusually distressed by my anxiety for my infant. There were present there Tertius and Pomponius, the blessed deacons who ministered to us, and had arranged by means of a gratuity that we might be refreshed by being sent out for a few hours into a pleasanter part of the prison. Then going out of the dungeon, all attended to their own wants. I suckled my child, which was now enfeebled with hunger. In my anxiety for it, I addressed my mother and comforted my brother, and commended to their care my son. I was languishing because I had seen them languishing on my account. Such solicitude I suffered for many days, and I obtained for my infant to remain in the dungeon with me; and forthwith I grew strong and was relieved from distress and anxiety about my infant; and the dungeon became to me as it were a palace, so that I preferred being there to being elsewhere. 3. "Then my brother said to me, 'My dear sister, you are already in a position of great dignity, and are such that you may ask for a vision, and that it may be made known to you whether this is to result in a passion or an escape.' And I, who knew that I was privileged to converse with the Lord, whose kindnesses I had found to be so great, boldly promised him, and said, 'Tomorrow I will tell you.' And I asked, and this was what was shown me. I saw a golden ladder of marvellous height, reaching up even to heaven, and very narrow, so that persons could only ascend it one by one; and on the sides of the ladder was fixed every kind of iron weapon. There were there swords, lances, hooks, daggers; so that if any one went up carelessly, or not looking upwards, he would be torn to pieces and his flesh would cleave to the iron weapons. And under the ladder itself was crouching a dragon of wonderful size, who lay in wait for those who ascended, and frightened them from the ascent. And Saturus went up first, who had subsequently delivered himself up freely on our account, not having been present at the time that we were taken prisoners. And he attained the top of the ladder, and turned towards me, and said to me, Perpetua, I am waiting for you; but be careful that the dragon do not bite you.' And I said, 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not hurt me.' And from under the ladder itself, as if in fear of me, he slowly lifted up his head; and as I trod upon the first step, I trod upon his head. And I went up, and I saw an immense extent of garden, and in the midst of the garden a white-haired man sitting in the dress of a shepherd, of a large stature, milking sheep; and standing around were many thousand white-robed ones. And he raised his head, and looked upon me, and said to me, 'Thou are welcome, daughter.' And he called me, and from the cheese as he was milking he gave me as it were a little cake, and I received it with folded hands; and I ate it, and all who stood around said Amen. And at the sound of their voices I was awakened, still tasting a sweetness which I cannot describe. And I immediately related this to my brother, and we understood that it was to be a passion, and we ceased henceforth to have any hope in this world. CHAPTER II PERPETUA, WHEN BESIEGED BY HER FATHER, COMFORTS HIM. WHEN LED WITH OTHERS TO THE TRIBUNAL, SHE AVOWS HERSELF A CHRISTIAN, AND IS CONDEMNED WITH THE REST TO THE WILD BEASTS. SHE PRAYS FOR HER BROTHER DINOCRATES, WHO WAS DEAD. I. "After a few days there prevailed a report that we should be heard. And then my father came to me from the city, worn out with anxiety. He came up to me, that he might cast me down, saying, 'Have pity my daughter, on my grey hairs. Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called a father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up to this flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not deliver me up to the scorn of men. Have regard to your brothers, have regard to your mother and your aunt, have regard to your son, who will not be able to live after you. Lay aside your courage, and do not bring us all to destruction; for none of us will speak in freedom if you should suffer anything.' These things said my father in his affection, kissing my hands, and throwing himself at my feet; and with tears he called me not Daughter, but Lady. And I grieved over the grey hairs of my father, that he alone of all my family would not rejoice over my passion. And I comforted him, saying, 'On that scaffold whatever God wills shall happen. For know that we are not placed in our own power, but in that of God.' And he departed from me in sorrrow. 2. "Another day, while we were at dinner, we were suddenly taken away to be heard, and we arrived at the town-hall. At once the rumour spread through the neighbourhood of the public place, and an immense number of people were gathered together. We mount the platform. The rest were interrogated, and confessed. Then they came to me, and my father immediately appeared with my boy, and withdrew me from the step, and said in a supplicating tone, 'Have pity on your babe.' And Hilarianus the procurator, who had just received the power of life and death in the place of the proconsul Minucius Timinianus, who was deceased, said, 'Spare the grey hairs of your father, spare the infancy of your boy, offer sacrifice for the well-being of the emperors.' And I replied, 'I will not do so.' Hilarianus said, 'Are you a Christian?' And I replied, 'I am a Christian.' And as my father stood there to cast me down from the faith, he was ordered by Hilarianus to be thrown down, and was beaten with rods. And my father's misfortune grieved me as if I myself had been beaten, I so grieved for his wretched old age. The procurator then delivers judgment on all of us, and condemns us to the wild beasts, and we went down cheerfully to the dungeon. Then, because my child had been used to receive suck from me, and to stay with me in the prison, I send Pomponius the deacon to my father to ask for the infant, but my father would not give it him. And even as God willed it, the child no long desired the breast, nor did my breast cause me uneasiness, lest I should be tormented by care for my babe and by the pain of my breasts at once. 3. "After a few days, whilst we were all praying, on a sudden, in the middle of our prayer, there came to me a word, and I named Dinocrates; and I was amazed that that name had never come into my mind until then, and I was grieved as I remembered his misfortune. And I felt myself immediately to be worthy, and to be called on to ask on his behalf. And for him I began earnestly to make supplication, and to cry with groaning to the Lord. Without delay, on that very night, this was shown to me in a vision. I saw Dinocrates going out from a gloomy place, where also there were several others, and he was parched and very thirsty, with a filthy countenance and pallid colour, and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother after the flesh, seven years of age? who died miserably with disease — his face being so eaten out with cancer, that his death caused repugnance to all men. For him I had made my prayer, and between him and me there was a large interval, so that neither of us could approach to the other. And moreover, in the same place where Dinocrates was, there was a pool full of water, having its brink higher than was the stature of the boy; and Dinocrates raised himself up as if to drink. And I was grieved that, although that pool held water, still, on account of the height to its brink, he could not drink. And I was aroused, and knew that my brother was in suffering. But I trusted that my prayer would bring help to his suffering; and I prayed for him every day until we passed over into the prison of the camp, for we were to fight in the camp-show. Then was the birthday of Geta Caesar, and I made my prayer for my brother day and night, groaning and weeping that he might be granted to me. 4. "Then, on the day on which we remained in fetters, this was shown to me. I saw that that place which I had formerly observed to be in gloom was now bright; and Dinocrates, with a clean body well clad, was finding refreshment. And where there had been a wound, I saw a scar; and that pool which I had before seen, I saw now with its margin lowered even to the boy's navel. And one drew water from the pool incessantly, and upon its brink was a goblet filled with water; and Dinocrates drew near and began to drink from it, and the goblet did not fail. And when he was satisfied, he went away from the water to play joyously, after the manner of children, and I awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from the place of punishment. CHAPTER III PERPETUA IS AGAIN TEMPTED BY HER FATHER. HER THIRD VISION, WHEREIN SHE IS LED AWAY TO STRUGGLE AGAINST AN EGYPTIAN. SHE FIGHTS, CONQUERS, AND RECEIVES THE REWARD. 1. "Again, after a few days, Pudens, a soldier, an assistant overseer of the prison, who began to regard us in great esteem, perceiving that the great power of God was in us, admitted many brethren to see us, that both we and they might be mutually refreshed. And when the day of the exhibition drew near my father, worn with suffering, came in to me, and began to tear out his beard, and to throw himself on the earth, and to cast himself down on his face, and to reproach his years, and to utter such words as might move all creation. I grieved for his unhappy old age. 2. "The day before that on which we were to fight, I saw in a vision that Pomponius the deacon came hither to the gate of the prison, and knocked vehemently. I went out to him, and opened the gate for him; and he was clothed in a richly ornamented white robe, and he had on manifold calliculae. And he said to me, 'Perpetua, we are waiting for you; come!' And he held his hand to me, and we began to go through rough and winding places. Scarcely at length had we arrived breathless at the amphitheatre, when he led me into the middle of the arena, and said to me, 'Do not fear, I am here with you, and I am labouring with you;' and he departed. And I gazed upon an immense assembly in astonishment. And because I knew that I was given to the wild beasts, I marvelled that the wild beasts were not let loose upon me. Then there came forth against me a certain Egyptian, horrible in appearance, with his backers, to fight with me. And there came to me, as my helpers and encouragers, handsome youths; and I was stripped, and became a man? Then my helpers began to rub me with oil, as is the custom for contest; and I beheld that Egyptian on the other hand rolling in the dust. And a certain man came forth, of wondrous height, so that he even over-topped the top of the amphitheatre; and he wore a loose tunic and a purple robe between two bands over the middle of the breast; and he had on calliculae of varied form, made of gold and silver; and he carried a rod, as if he were a trainer of gladiators, and a green branch upon which were apples of gold. And he called for silence, and said, 'This Egyptian, if he should overcome this woman, shall kill her with the sword; and if she shall conquer him, she shall receive this branch.' Then he departed. And we drew near to one another, and began to deal out blows. He sought to lay hold of my feet, while I struck at his face with my heels; and I was lifted up in the air, and began thus to thrust at him as if spurning the earth. But when I saw that there was some delay I joined my hands so as to twine my fingers with one another; and I took hold upon his head, and he fell on his face, and I trod upon his head? And the people began to shout, and my backers to exult. And I drew near to the trainer and took the branch; and he kissed me, and said to me, 'Daughter, peace be with you:' and I began to go gloriously to the Sanavivarian gate. Then I awoke, and perceived that I was not to fight with beasts, but against the devil. Still I knew that the victory was awaiting me. This, so far, I have completed several days before the exhibition; but what passed at the exhibition itself let who will write." CHAPTER IV SATURUS, IN A VISION, AND PERPETUA BEING CARRIED BY ANGELS INTO THE GREAT LIGHT, BEHOLD THE MARTYRS. BEING BROUGHT TO THE THRONE OF GOD, ARE RECEIVED WITH A KISS. THEY RECONCILE OPTATUS THE BISHOP AND ASPASIUS THE PRESBYTER. 1. Moreover, also, the blessed Saturus related this his vision, which he himself committed to writing: — " We had suffered," says he, "and we were gone forth from the flesh, and we were beginning to be borne by four angels into the east; and their hands touched us not. And we floated not supine, looking upwards, but as if ascending a gentle slope. And being set free, we at length saw the first boundless light; and I said, 'Perpetua' (for she was at my side), 'this is what the Lord promised to us; we have received the promise.' And while we are borne by those same four angels, there appears to us a vast space which was like a pleasure-garden, having rose-trees and every kind of flower. And the height of the trees was after the measure of a cypress, and their leaves were falling incessantly. Moreover, there in the pleasure-garden four other angels appeared, brighter than the previous ones, who, when they saw us, gave us honour, and said to the rest of the angels, 'Here they are! Here they are!' with admiration. And those four angels who bore us, being greatly afraid, put us down; and we passed over on foot the space of a furlong in a broad path. There we found Jocundus and Saturninus and Artaxius, who having suffered the same persecution were burnt alive; and Quintus, who also himself a martyr had departed in the prison. And we asked of them where the rest were. And the angels said to us, 'Come first, enter and greet your Lord.' 2. "And we came near to place, the walls of which were such as if they were built of light; and before the gate of that place stood four angels, who clothed those who entered with white robes. And being clothed, we entered and saw the boundless light, and heard the united voice of some who said without ceasing, Holy! Holy! Holy!' And in the midst of that place we saw as it were a hoary man sitting, having snow-white hair, and with a youthful countenance; and his feet we saw not. And on his right hand and on his left were four-and-twenty elders, and behind them a great many others were standing. We entered with great wonder, and stood before the throne; and the four angels raised us up, and we kissed Him, and He passed His hand over our face. And the rest of the elders said to us, 'Let us stand;' and we stood and made peace. And the elders said to us, and enjoy.' And I said, 'Perpetua, you have what you wish.' And she said to me, 'Thanks be to God, that joyous as I was in the flesh, I am now more joyous here.' 3. "And we went forth, and saw before the entrance Optatus the bishop at the right hand, and Aspasius the presbyter, a teacher, at the left hand, separate and sad; and they cast themselves at our feet, and said to us, 'Restore peace between us, because you have gone forth and have left us thus.' And we said to them, 'Art not thou our father, and thou our presbyter, that you should cast yourselves at our feet?" And we prostrated ourselves, and we embraced them; and Perpetua began to speak with them, and we drew them apart in the pleasure-garden under a rose-tree. And while we were speaking with them, the angels said unto them, 'Let them alone, that they may refresh themselves; and if you have any dissensions between you, forgive one another.' And they drove them away. And they said to Optatus, 'Rebuke thy people, because they assemble to you as if returning from the circus, and contending about factious matters.' And then it seemed to us as if they would shut the doors. And in that place we began to recognise many brethren, and moreover martyrs. We were all nourished with an indescribable odour, which satisfied us. Then, I joyously awoke." {Saint Perpetua's Feast Day was just a few days ago on March 7th. O God the King of saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua and Felicitas and their companions to make a good confession, staunchly resisting, for the cause of Christ, the claims of human affection, and encouraging one another in their time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith, and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. But what the , 'Hail Mary' and holy martyrs like Perpetua teach us is the importance of preparation for death. For death is the final door we must all walk through, the summation of our lives. It is, if you like the final adding up of all our life's account. The entranceway to Final Judgement and heaven or hell. What better could we, any of us ever pray for than that Mary stand there with us st our passing. Certainly if we die as holy a death as young Perpetua we will not only walk , but fly to heaven.
I think in the death of Saint Perpetua and the other martyrs we see many of the things that face all Catholics when we face death. Its a real time of trial, of choice. Its bottom line time to all that has gone before. We may have gone to mass every week or even every day, we may have prayed we may have gone to the sacraments but like Saint Paul we must tremble before the judgement seat of God. For Saint Paul tells us that though he is one of the holiest men who ever lived it is God who will be the judge. Perpetua was in deep trouble and facing death her faith was tried through the sieve of martyrdom and in her hour of need she called for God's help and in her hour of need he replied and replied very powerfully in terms of a vision. Psalm 138:3 When I called, you answered me. You made me bold by strengthening my soul. We too turn for help to Mary that she be with us at the hour of death , that our strength may not fail us that at the hour of trial Mary may stand at our side as great intercessor at the final judgement, that she may intercede for us, for we are all sinners and know our need for the good word. "O happy day," says St. Thomas of Villanova, "on which such and so great an Advocate has been given to the world! So great an Advocate because she is most pure, because she is most acceptable, because she is most merciful!" But not an advocate only but a huge comfort. For is we say the Hail Mary with faith we cannot doubt that Mary, Our True Comfort will stand beside us at the hour of death. The Blessed Virgin requested Mary of Agreda to pray very often for the dying, as their sufferings and perils are extremely great. There are sinners in their last agony who have but a few more moments in which to save their souls from eternal perdition. There are just souls who are fighting their last battle to retain the fruits of a devout and holy life. The rage and deceit of Hell, the remembrance of the sins committed, the uncertainty of being in the state of grace, the terrors of the unknown future ---- all unite to depress and burden the soul. But the person who has been devoted to the Mother of God, and especially to her sorrows, will not be deserted. Mary has rescued innumerable souls from Hell even at the last moment. Saint Alphonsus says that whoever dies while loving God and pronouncing the name of Mary cannot be lost. But a further reason for asking for help at the hour of death is shown in the lives of The Fathers of the Desert and of the Saints for they show us that perhaps at no time in our whole lives does the devil act more powerfully to sieze souls, for he well knows that is his last chance to seize them and drag them to perdition. 'St. Basil the Great, interpreting the passage from the Psalms: "save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me, lest they tear my soul like a lion" (Psalm 7, 2-3), says that the brave men who have struggled throughout their lives against the invisible enemy, towards the end of their lives "will be searched by the ruler of the age" in order to hold them captive if they are found to have wounds or stigmata or imprints of sins. But if they are found uninjured and unstained, then "as they are invincible and free, Christ will give them rest". Therefore he who is under the power of death, since he knows that "One is He who saves, One is He who redeems", cries out to Christ the Saviour: "deliver me in that time of searching, lest they tear my soul like a lion". And Christ, since he was free of sin, said: "now the ruler of this world is coming and he will have nothing in me"; for man, however, it is enough to say that the ruler of the world is coming and he will have "few and small things" in me" . The hour of death is terrible because then the person recalls his sins, but also because he sees frightening things. St. John Chrysostom bears witness that there are many men who recount terrible visions, which the departing one cannot repel. They are so terrible that "his very bed shakes violently, and he gazes in fear at the bystanders". That is to say, his very body is shaken by his soul's fear, and he makes many disturbed movements. St. John Chrysostom adds that if we are frightened by the sight of terrible men, how much more frightened we will be when at the departure of our soul from the body we see "angels threatening us and stern powers". The soul which is parted from the body wails uselessly, in vain . St. Symeon the New Theologian speaks about this, emphasising especially that he who has God's Light conquers the demons that come near him, for the demons are burnt by the divine Light. This is the case even now, as far as the person is in the vision of God and is clothed in God's Light. It will be much more the case when a person's soul is leaving his body. St. Symeon says that the Christian has no benefit from the spiritual struggle which he is going through if the devil is not set ablaze by the Light of God. And this means that the essence and aim of the spiritual life is to be united with the Light. St. Symeon writes: "If the prince of darkness, when he comes, does not see Thy glory accompanying me and is not utterly confounded—he, the darkness, consumed by Thy inaccessible Light—and if all the hostile powers with him do not flee on seeing the mark of Thy seal, while I pass through, trusting in Thy grace perfectly intrepid, and approach Thee and bow down what is the use of that which is going on in me now?" ' But Our Blessed Lady, our life, our comfort and our hope, the terror of demons sets them to flight. "What Lucifer lost by pride, Mary won by humility. What Eve ruined and lost by disobedience, Mary saved by obedience. By obeying the serpent, Eve ruined her children as well as herself and delivered them up to him. Mary by her perfect fidelity to God saved her children with herself and consecrated them to his divine majesty" (TD [True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin] 53). Satan has been conquered by Mary’s "Yes," and therefore, she is the enemy of the devil: "The magnificence of the devil is even more humbled to see himself under the feet of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most humble person who has ever been, than to feel crushed by the arms of the Almighty"
A new twist! Padraig, This last statement is so true. Satan must recognise his defeat at the hands of Jesus Christ, but what infuriates him is the idea of our humble Mother, a mere creature, being exalted above him. His hatred of Mary runs very deep. The rise of occultism and satanism today feeds the Evil One's pride because misguided and foolish people look to JoeJerk to help satisfy their passions. Not only does he gloat over such attention, but he knows such a path leads souls to perdition. Christ warns that the one who exalts himself shall be humbled; those who succomb to this temptation, in some sense, are remaking themselves in satan's image. How extraordinarily different is Our Lady's lowly disposition. She seeks no personal gain, only to humbly serve her Son, and to draw her children through her heart into the loving depths of the Sacred Heart. In this, the Father is glorified and Satan's defeat is trumpeted. And so the other side of the coin is revealed: she who humbled herself has been exalted! Yesterday, I had the most marvelous time examining a statue of Our Lady that I have never seen styled before. I wish I could have taken a picture. Mary's head is uncovered, she is poised in prayer while simultaneously treading down the serpent. I marveled at the sculptor who painstakingly took time to carve out strands of brown hair which cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. The face humbly glanced downward with hands folded in prayer. What struck me, most powerfully, was the depiction of satan. Often, he is shown alive under Mary's foot with the forbidden fruit in his mouth. Not this time! He has no fruit, but is lying prostrate, as if dead, with his mouth slightly open. He appears utterly vanquished. I dubbed the statue, Our Lady of the Triumph! May her tender humility soon acieve the triumph of her Immaculate Heart! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Yes Terry, you are so right. For this is what defeats Hell and won her the throne of Heaven that once was Satan's own....and for us her children what a lesson! For humility is the great path to sancttiy..and without it all grace drains way, like water from a rusty bucket. In the Roman Rituale the prayer used by exorcists, the invocation of saints begins with Mary's name. THIS IS NO ACCIDENT. Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, All holy angels and archangels,..........................
