Dear Friends,
At all times, but especially during the month of May, and especially as we experience certain trials, we should look to Mary.
The situation in the world and in the Church is very difficult. There is a tremendous amount of division. But Mary is Our Lady of Hope, she’s the Mother of Mercy, and she’s the greatest warrior against evil. She is all three, and more.
Mary staked her life on hope and truth
In the first place, when we think about hope, we should think about Mary. She staked her whole life on the hope on something that could never have been proven to her.
She staked her whole life on the truth of something that she could never understand. She rooted her hope in that. And that’s the kind of hope we need now, because what we can understand leads to discouragement.
But Jesus Christ is the hope that never disappoints. And because of her unfailing hope and trust in Him, Mary was never disappointed, though she had very tough days (none more “tough” than at the foot of the cross).
Look to Mary for hope
And so, at times when we’re tempted to lose hope as we look around us, we should look first to Mary and think first of Mary, because she is the embodiment (literally) of hope.
Because she bore in her womb the Hope of the world, she’s the embodiment of hope. And because she lived out the Will of the Lord with perfect trust, but without divine foreknowledge, she is our great example of hope.
And she is the Mother of Mercy. Pope Francis is right, we really do need mercy in this world today, in a desperate way.
This world of ours says, “Do whatever you want! You get a free pass on everything. There is nothing that’s right or wrong anymore, just go ahead!” Yet, that same world is merciless when people do what is politically incorrect.
When it actually comes to something that crosses the line of political correctness, there is no mercy. There is no mercy. So we need the Mother of Mercy desperately — the one who carried Mercy in her womb.
We need the ‘warrioress’
And evil is just growing, and growing, and growing all around us. We need the warrioress, the great warrior against evil, who is Mary.
She is the one charged with crushing the head of the ancient serpent with her feet. She’s the one through whom joy at the conquest of evil, the joy of the Resurrection, shines forth.
So, all that we see around us, in terms of the turmoil of the world, should be a reminder of how important it is to go to Our Lady every day.
Recently, Pope Francis said that we should all pray the Rosary every day. Maybe now that he said it, people will actually do it!
Mary as an example
The world is suffering in so many ways, and Mary serves as an example and as a conduit directly to her Son, who offers all that the world lacks.
She’s Our Lady of Hope, she’s the Mother of Mercy, she’s the warrior who crushes the head of the ancient serpent. We need her in our life acting in those capacities every blessed day.
During May and year round, let us turn to Mary, Our Lady of Hope and Mother of Mercy, she who crushes the head of the ancient serpent; let us ask for her intercession, her perpetual help, and her consolation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! Praised be Jesus Christ!