Reading: Genesis 3: 14-15
from St. Louis du Montfort: True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, #52
Reflection:
I suppose one could say that God is God and the opposite of God is Satan. As in, God's equal and opposite.
WHICH IS TOTALLY HERETICAL AND THEOLOGICALLY INACCURATE.
No, Satan is one of God's creation since Lucifer was an angel. But in his rebellion against God, he is a fallen angel. And that doesn't make him God's equal opposite. Actually, I'm sure he would love more than anything to be God's equal, but the truth is...he is not! Out of his rebellion, Satan will do anything to lead others to turn away from God through his seductive lies.
And so...if Satan were to have an equal opposite (if at all)...it would probably be this woman that is spoken of in Genesis 3 whom God will place enmity between her and the serpent. This woman ends up being Mary. She's the thorn in Satan's side because how could a human creature be so endowed with God's grace? And the Evil One is a jealous type.
I learned in high school that a cool way to think about the Rosary is that every time someone prays it, Mary sticks a dagger into Satan's face. Whoa.
I learned a year ago from St. Louis du Montfort that every Hail Mary prayed on the Rosary is like offering Mary a rose. So maybe these roses are the swords and daggers which Mary uses to oppose Satan.
From Genesis 3: 15, this woman will crush the head of the serpent. When I visited the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land back in January, someone pointed out to me that one of the Marian altars had a unique feature. I didn't talk about it in my blog...but...the marble/stone used for the floor surrounding a particular Marian altar at the Monastery were brought in from somewhere. And when they were placing these stones, it was later noticed that in one of the stones, a very distinct imprint of a snake is visible. Beneath. A. Statue. Of. Mary. (not literally, but the imprint is definitely "at the foot" of where Mary stands)
So basically, Our Blessed Mother can oppose Satan in a very powerful and profound way. God basically said Himself that there would exist a hatred between the two, and obviously Satan doesn't win in the end. That doesn't mean that Satan won't give up without a fight.
Response:
And so, knowing that I've fallen for Satan's lies many, many times...I must ask for Our Lady's help and offer her my temptations so that she can help me in my fight against sin. Really, against the devil. She cannot redeem me, but she can certainly help my fight against the devil for she is full of grace and desires nothing but to point me towards her Son, who does redeem me.
I offer Our Lady my inclination to sin.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
- JD
