A homily on Mary (based on Rev. 12)

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Some of you may be familiar with Annunciation Monastery at Clear Creek, and Abbot Philip. Perhaps like me you received a recent letter from the Abbot which referred to his homily delivered on Aug. 15. I looked for a copy of that homily online but it is not at their website. Please read the excerpt below on the Abbot’s insights into the vision of the Apostle John in Rev. 12: 1-17. We need to pray these final days before the Synod on the Family which opens in Rome on Oct 4, especially for Pope Francis as Vicar of Christ, on earth.

The letter of Abbot Philip would be too long for this post, but referring to his homily, he likened the vision of the woman clothed with the sun in chapter 12, (usually understood as signifying both the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church), to the mystery of the family. Abbot Philip wrote:

Perhaps our situation in America suggests a different but not unworthwhile interpretation of this vision: we must see in this celestial woman a revelation of God’s plan for the family – not just the family as a natural institution but the family as willed by God under the grace of the New and Everlasting Covenant. At this moment – I am thinking especially of the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court practically redefining marriage (against all reason and all justice) – it is clearly urgent to meditate upon the family, and a precious light will perhaps be shed on this institution through the prophetic vision of Revelation 12…

…This woman cries in the travail of childbirth; she is in pain; the evil red dragon lies in wait, hoping to devour her son. After she is delivered of her child, “who is taken up to God and to His Throne”, she must flee “into the wilderness”, as the sacred text tells us, where this evil beast makes war “with the rest of her seed”. Is this not an image of the Church in our time?..

Abbot Philip continues, but I will stop here. Please let us pray through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church to guide the Pope and the Bishops who are meeting in Rome for this Synod on the Family.

 

[friardchips]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Some of you may be familiar with Annunciation Monastery at Clear Creek, and Abbot Philip. Perhaps like me you received a recent letter from the Abbot which referred to his homily delivered on Aug. 15. I looked for a copy of that homily online but it is not at their website. Please read the excerpt below on the Abbot’s insights into the vision of the Apostle John in Rev. 12: 1-17. We need to pray these final days before the Synod on the Family which opens in Rome on Oct 4, especially for Pope Francis as Vicar of Christ, on earth.

The letter of Abbot Philip would be too long for this post, but referring to his homily, he likened the vision of the woman clothed with the sun in chapter 12, (usually understood as signifying both the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church), to the mystery of the family. Abbot Philip wrote:

Abbot Philip continues, but I will stop here. Please let us pray through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church to guide the Pope and the Bishops who are meeting in Rome for this Synod on the Family.

I kind of see Revelation as looking back at when Our Lady was with child and Herod trying to devour the child. As with all history, things tends to repeat. I don’t think the Abbot’s insight replaces the one we understand already but rather is yet another circumstance of evil happening in our world. The dragon is the living out of the evil inspired initially by satan and set in opposition to the Church, and therefore the family, just as Herod was inspired by evil to find the Saviour and kill Him. It is true, that when the U.S does something, it tends to affect everything else globally. A clever despot can affect one part of a system, knowing the rest might follow suit. In Herod’s day it was different. He was one ruler with nothing like the kind of systems of rule in place, in today’s world. So Herod committed his atrocities in a more literal, ISIS, type way. But Our Lady is the woman crowned with twelve stars and the true representation of the Bride of Christ, the Church. The Abbot’s insight is interesting still and points to the need for people to be aware of what is contrary to the good of humanity and of course to the Church.

 

[MariaChristi]

I kind of see Revelation as looking back at when Our Lady was with child and Herod trying to devour the child. As with all history, things tends to repeat. I don’t think the Abbot’s insight replaces the one we understand already but rather is yet another circumstance of evil happening in our world. The dragon is the living out of the evil inspired initially by satan and set in opposition to the Church, and therefore the family, just as Herod was inspired by evil to find the Saviour and kill Him. It is true, that when the U.S does something, it tends to affect everything else globally. A clever despot can affect one part of a system, knowing the rest might follow suit. In Herod’s day it was different. He was one ruler with nothing like the kind of systems of rule in place, in today’s world. So Herod committed his atrocities in a more literal, ISIS, type way. But Our Lady is the woman crowned with twelve stars and the true representation of the Bride of Christ, the Church. The Abbot’s insight is interesting still and points to the need for people to be aware of what is contrary to the good of humanity and of course to the Church.

Dear friardchips,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the Abbot’s insights are interesting and also point us toward the presence of evil in our own day, even as the evil one tempted Adam and Eve, and they fell into the original sin. The Abbot continues in his homily to point out:

…the evil one persecutes the Church that must hide in a kind of cultural wilderness, as the battle continues…

The dragon, or the serpent, as the text also calls him, cannot simply leave the woman, the Church, alone. He feels such hatred that he is compelled to pursue her. From his mouth come the waters of a deadly persecution, one so bad that as the text tells us, the woman risks being carried away to ruin by it, as by a fierce river at flood stage.

So is it now with the family…the true teaching of the Church on the family has been prgressively banished from the public square…How did we ever get to this point? …Each one of us must ask this question in prayer…

The Abbot concluded his letter with these words:

…May the Lady clothed in the sun, the Mother of God and the Church, powerfully lend us her light at this critical hour. Enlisted in her army, we cannot fail, and the true family will emerge victorious from the battle.

Again, I post this thread in an effort to encourage us to “see” the present dangers to the human family and to pray for the Pope and Bishops especially during the Synod of the Family to be held in Rome, Oct 4 - 25.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Enlighten our minds and strengthen our wills to do the Truth we hear from Jesus.
Jesus, we trust in You!

 

[friardchips]

Dear friardchips,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the Abbot’s insights are interesting and also point us toward the presence of evil in our own day, even as the evil one tempted Adam and Eve, and they fell into the original sin. The Abbot continues in his homily to point out:

The Abbot concluded his letter with these words:

Again, I post this thread in an effort to encourage us to “see” the present dangers to the human family and to pray for the Pope and Bishops especially during the Synod of the Family to be held in Rome, Oct 4 - 25.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Enlighten our minds and strengthen our wills to do the Truth we hear from Jesus.
Jesus, we trust in You!

Great post. Thank you. satan is terrified of Our Lady as she is his downfall, but I think he goes after her children, who by adoption is the Church, just as Our Lady is the beginning of the Church and Mother of the Church. This doesn’t mean however that satan doesn’t get others to knock her. Hence, the dragon, who I don’t see as satan but as those who collectively do his work for him and next to him. But satan doesn’t confront Our Lady directly. He hides behind others. He hates her but is scared of her also. I especially like this: “May the Lady clothed in the sun, the Mother of God and the Church, powerfully lend us her light at this critical hour. Enlisted in her army, we cannot fail, and the true family will emerge victorious from the battle.” This sentence explains the meaning behind his words. They are powerful!

 

[friardchips]

Great thread!

 

[MariaChristi]

Great post. Thank you. satan is terrified of Our Lady as she is his downfall, but I think he goes after her children, who by adoption is the Church, just as Our Lady is the beginning of the Church and Mother of the Church. This doesn’t mean however that satan doesn’t get others to knock her. Hence, the dragon, who I don’t see as satan but as those who collectively do his work for him and next to him. But satan doesn’t confront Our Lady directly. He hides behind others. He hates her but is scared of her also. I especially like this: “May the Lady clothed in the sun, the Mother of God and the Church, powerfully lend us her light at this critical hour. Enlisted in her army, we cannot fail, and the true family will emerge victorious from the battle.” This sentence explains the meaning behind his words. They are powerful!

Dear friardchips,

The Abbot began his letter noting that the Archbishop of Bologna, Carlo Caffara spoke to a reporter in 2008 about a long letter he had received from Sister Lucia, the seer of Fatima. Sister wrote:

The final battle between the Lord and the reign of satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head.

Truly, Our Lady’s “Yes” to the Incarnation crushed the head of satan, for Jesus - The Word Made Flesh in Mary’s womb overcame evil with good on His Cross. The battle continues between the forces of evil and the Body of Christ on earth, but the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. As St. John Paul II said: “Remember victory will come through Mary”. Our personal victory in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit has been won for us by Jesus through Mary, but we must continue to persevere to the end in faith, hope and above all Charity to gain the place He has prepared for us in heaven.

 

[friardchips]

Dear friardchips,

The Abbot began his letter noting that the Archbishop of Bologna, Carlo Caffara spoke to a reporter in 2008 about a long letter he had received from Sister Lucia, the seer of Fatima. Sister wrote:

‘The final battle between the Lord and the reign of satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head.’

Truly, Our Lady’s “Yes” to the Incarnation crushed the head of satan, for Jesus - The Word Made Flesh in Mary’s womb overcame evil with good on His Cross. The battle continues between the forces of evil and the Body of Christ on earth, but the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. As St. John Paul II said: “Remember victory will come through Mary”. Our personal victory in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit has been won for us by Jesus through Mary, but we must continue to persevere to the end in faith, hope and above all Charity to gain the place He has prepared for us in heaven.

I try not to miss your threads when on here. This (post above) is a good example why! It is interesting that the prophetic comment was said by Sr Lucia. It certainly adds weight to the Abbot’s insights.