It's the great Feast of the Assumption today, in which we honor Mary, the Ever Virgin Mother of God. Now, some people think that's idolatry, others don't think about it at all, but exorcists tell us with unerring consistency that the demons hate, fear and loathe Mary. For them, an Ave (Hail Mary) is like a "blow to the face." No wonder, her purity and faith stand diametrically opposed to demonic filth and disbelief.
No wonder, again, that she is Our Lady of Victories, not just at Lepanto but against all evil. Ask for her powerful intercession as we fight, and the fight is increasingly simple if not easy; it's Good v. Evil, Light v. Dark, Heaven v. Hell. A ferocious, heavenly struggle and Our Lady is our ally, and the Christ whom she bears to us is Life, Light, Good and Truth.
If you stand against that, which you're free to do, you will be relentlessly destroyed, like the Moors in Spain. Mark my words.
Ave,
LSP
Of course demons and devils are scared of Her and Her Name. She's the purest human born.
ReplyDeleteAdam and Eve were created. Jesus was God in human form, born of human mother.
I've always been a bit of a Marianne (what you call people who follow Her.) Cool lady, put up with a lot of sh...tuff and just kept going.
Best song about her is probably Franchesca Battistelli's "Be Born In Me." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsXOP7aQeqQ.
And pretty much any "Ave Maria" is pretty much perfection, though Shubert's music (based on Beethoven) with the Latin Hail Mary is still my favorite.
With you on the Shubert, Beans. And vaguely on topic, I liked Gibson's portrayal in the Passion of the Christ.
DeleteOne of Anglicanism's several crimes lies in diminishing devotion to her in what had been Mary's Dowry - England.
Well, the Anglo-Catholics, myself included, have worked to reverse that wickedness.
Is there any apocryphal reference to Mary's parents? Who were they and what was their lineage. It's a legitimate question. I don't know the answer.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the interwebs, Cyrus and Eucyrus were Mary's parents.
Deletehttps://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/magdalene.htm
Beans, I think you're on Mary Magdalene! Which is a very fine thing to be on, but Our Lady's parents were, according to apocrypha Anne and Joachim.
DeleteLL, here's an extensive link:
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm#:~:text=Her%20parents&text=According%20to%20this%20document%20the,James%2C%20is%20reproduced%20by%20St.
@LL - A copy and paste just for you: Mary’s parents are St. Joachim and St. Anne. What we know about them comes from tradition and from apocryphal writings (writings that are in the style of sacred Scripture but are not believed to have been divinely inspired). The Protoevangelium of James (written around A.D. 150) describes them as a wealthy couple who were infertile for many years, leading Joachim to fast for 40 days and nights in hopes of having a child. Mary’s birth was announced by an angel, leading to much rejoicing on the part of Joachim and Anne. The story also explains that Mary was consecrated to the Lord and went to live in the temple at the age of 3.
DeleteAw. spit. You're right, I'm wrong, wrong Mary.
DeleteLove the blessed Theotokos - in the Orthodox church we use that term as it means "the One who gave birth to God". The hymn: "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify you!"
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Seamus!
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