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| Passion of the Christ: Mary vs. Satan |
Satan's hatred of Our Lady extends to all the daughters of Eve who reflect her image! And so we move to the What is a Woman? era. Nobody knows! Just as men try to erase God with the claim that He doesn’t exist or, if He did once exist, He is now dead; women, who mirror the God-bearer Mary, must be annihilated as well. “Our tainted nature’s solitary boast,” as Wordsworth described Mary must be cancelled along with all her daughters. Women are unimportant and easily replaced. A man can be a better woman than a real woman. A trans woman runs, bikes, and swims faster; jumps higher, and advertises cosmetics and Nike sportswear better than any real woman could.
To see the extent of Satan’s success in destroying even the idea of women notice what the culture did in 2023. Time Magazine and USA Today both gave women of the year awards to men playing dress up as women. Jill Biden presented an International Courage of Women Award to a man in makeup. The Miss Universe Contest featured its first man as a contestant. The number of biological men winning women sporting events is at an all-time high.
Men in makeup masks are the equivalent of whites in blackface, but the whole world, it seems, champions the madness. Like the folks in the fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, most people are afraid to speak the truth for fear of reprisal, i.e., being targeted as hateful homophobes. So they hide the light of truth under a bushel, and go along with the lie that men magically become women if they identify as women. The brutal attack on women seems particularly deliberate and pointed. When I ask myself why, it seems obvious that it is the cancellation of Mary as virgin, spouse, and mother of God.
In the movie, The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson offered a puzzling scene of Mary vs. Satan. On one side of the crowd Mary witnesses her faith and courage as she accompanies her Son in His suffering. Opposite her, an androgynous Satan cradling a hideous “infant” seems to mock her with a diabolical inversion. The devil presents a perverted vision of Madonna and child as he cradles a “baby” with the face of a middle-aged man. Catholic Exchange, in A Guide to the Passion, addressed this scene saying, "Mary is full of grace." Her "yes" to God, "stands in direct opposition to Lucifer’s rejection of God’s will”:
Mary’s "yes" also stands in stark contrast to Eve’s “no” to God in the Garden of Eden. While in the book of Genesis Eve is seduced by the devil, Mary thwarts the devil’s plans by accepting God’s will for her beloved Son.....This scene of Jesus’ walk to Calvary illustrates the battle that was (and still is) taking place between Mary and the devil. The devil despises Mary because of her role in giving the world its Savior, her purity of heart, her role as intercessor before God and her total faithfulness. Evidence of this hatred towards “the woman” is revealed at both the beginning and end of the Bible. In Genesis, we hear God reveal that He will “put enmity between [the devil] and the woman.” In the book of Revelation, we see that the devil (represented by the dragon) desires to devour the woman’s child.
The devil hates all women, but especially those who strive to walk in the footsteps of Mary by embracing their feminine charism. Those who welcome and nurture new life, whether through physical or spiritual motherhood, are his particular enemies. He hates with unbridled rage the consecrated brides of Christ, vowed wives, mothers, and single lay women who imitate Mary’s holy virginity. All women spark Satan’s burning rage and wrath toward “the woman” of Scripture. So he seeks the destruction of women and their replacement, not only by men masquerading as women, but now even by sex robots, a burgeoning AI (artificial intelligence) market.
So how do we respond to Satan’s malevolent attack on Mary, women, and the family? First, pray to be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The closer we draw to the source of all wisdom, the more likely we will recognize what’s true and good. Second, recognize the complementarity of the sexes. God made us male and female for a reason. His perfect will is for us to be raised by a holy mother and a holy father joined in sacred matrimony. Children learn the particular gifts men and women each bring to the family by observing it and living it. The old adage shares a profound truth. “Values are caught, not taught.” Of course, you can teach, but actions speak louder than words.
Dad is called to be head of the home, not as a tyrant, but as a holy leader. Mom is called to be heart of the home, a wise nurturer and first teacher who creates a holy and peaceful environment where the family can grow in love and mutual respect. Together with their children, parents form the domestic Church. It’s a tragedy that so many children are raised in dysfunctional homes deforming them from the cradle. That makes the witness of true family life as God intended even more important! The witness of the early Christians was not primarily a preaching apostolate. It was the example of love they had for their families, other Christians, and the needs of the poor that spoke volumes.
Consider the actions that are often part of a vibrant Christian community: prayer chains, meal trains for families suffering crises, rides to church and appointments, raising money for the needy. The list goes on and on. One of the most important witnesses is suffering persecution for justice’s sake. Not only is it a beatitude, but a spiritual work of mercy, i.e., “to bear wrongs patiently.”
There’s a song imprisoned baby rescuers often sang in jail during Operation Rescue. The lyrics go like this. “Cast your burdens onto Jesus, for He cares for you...Lift Him higher.... Lift Jesus higher. Lower, lower....Stomp Satan lower. Cast your burdens onto Jesus for He cares for you.” Jesus does care for all of us, especially those who unite their sufferings to His on the cross. One of the greatest threats to Satan is the joy and humble acceptance of Christians under persecution willing to suffer in atonement for the sins of the world.
"Lower, lower, stomp Satan lower!"
Our times give us many opportunities to suffer even if it’s only crucifixion by thumbtack. Every tiny suffering willingly united to the cross has a saving power that stomps Satan lower. Ultimately, St. Michael, the heavenly warrior and the other good angels will stomp Satan and his rebel band lowest of all. He will be thrust the demons into hell for all eternity with those who refuse to repent and accept God’s mercy. We can help to bring that day closer by following Mary’s peace plan at Fatima. Pray the daily rosary and practice the Five First Saturdays devotion. Our Lady’s battle plan is the strategy for victory.
Until that victory comes, let us persevere with courage and faithfulness giving the world an example of what it means to be true men and true women building the Church on the edifice of the little domestic Church, the family. May Jesus Christ be praised! Now and forever.
I've been out west for 10 days where it's all mountains and plains, cowboys and Indians. The first morning back in Orlando when getting coffee, a man with facial hair was sitting in a booth putting on eye makeup. He had his hair pulled back with a hair scrunchie, had on his earrings and was getting ready to roll for the day scaring people. Immediately I wished it was 200 years ago in a saloon in the Wild west where two rugged cowboys walk in, look at the man putting on his makeup and one cowboy says to the other, "Well, lookee here", then asks the man what the hell he thinks he's doing.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry, Susan. 200 years ago Maybelline hadn't been invented.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if it had been, the two cowboys would have darkened his eyes the natural way.
A great number of females seem fine with that. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteWho have always been the "allies" of the homosexual males so despised historically by most heterosexual men?
Why have some portion of the female population always allowed their fashions and even their self-images to be dictated to them by male sex perverts?
Who are these "Moms" who are taking their kids to drag queen story hours?
Which sex is it that is most obsessed with "inclusion" "acceptance" and "niceness"?
For my money, some men have deserved all the opprobrium they have ever received as a result of their conscienceless, good-for-nothing, and semi-mindless pursuit of vainglory and domination: resulting for them, in their three last things - a self-satisfied belch, death, and a well deserved eternity in Hell.
On the other hand, the female of the species seems capable of greater perversity than most of us would ever have imagined until recent years.
But the disturbing fact is, that just as with the male, it is nothing new; just less noticed in eras when there were perhaps fewer opportunities for these twisted beings to publicly manifest their insanity.
NorthCharlton - Thx, I really enjoyed that read. And I agree with it.
Delete“… resulting for them, in their three last things - a self-satisfied belch, death, and a well deserved eternity in Hell.”
I don’t know if it’s appropriate, but I couldn’t help myself - this made me laugh.
North Charlton, for the most part it's lesbians who take their children to drag queen story hours, not heterosexual mothers, although I'm sure the more liberal a heterosexual female is, the more inclined she'd be to indoctrinate her children into sexual depravity.
ReplyDeleteAgree with your comment that women seem capable of greater perversity since it's well known that Nazi women guards, for instance, were far more cruel than the men. Maybe once the life-giving/motherhood aspect of femininity is dead the female becomes an empty vessel needing to be filled with the opposite mindset thereby making her more vicious than a man. ...??
Susan Matthiessen said: "Maybe once the life-giving/motherhood aspect of femininity is dead the female becomes an empty vessel needing to be filled with the opposite mindset thereby making her more vicious than a man. ...??"
ReplyDeleteThat is undeniably true, and very much true in men as well - maybe once the natural masculinity, sustaining, governing and protective instincts is dead the male becomes an empty vessel needing to be filled with a female imitation mindset which can only come from the mind of the devil, since it can't possibly come from God, thereby making him artificially vicious rather naturally protective (due to the imitation mindset's infernal source).