As Fr. Frederick Faber wrote in At The Foot of the Cross

“Mary’s sorrows were not necessary for the redemption of the world, but in the counsels of God they were inseparable from it. They belong to the integrity of the divine plan. Are not Mary’s mysteries Jesus’ mysteries, and His mysteries hers? The truth appears to be that all the mysteries of Jesus and Mary were in God’s design as one mystery. Jesus Himself was Mary’s sorrow, seven times repeated, aggravated sevenfold.”

So, reflecting on the Seven Sorrows of Mary can be of great benefit.  I wrote a series about the Seven Sorrows.

I also like to reflect on Mary in her “warrior mother” guise, as when she is using a weapon to protect her children.   In general, human mothers, even of the critter sort, get pretty worked up if some threat goes after their offspring.  Would Mary be any less concerned about us, in this vale of tears?

I’ve used this image of Mary on the sidebar of the blog quite often.  Let’s beat the devil… with a club!

The title of this image is “Madonna del Soccorso… Our Lady of Succor, or Help”, painted in 1494 and it is found in the cloister of the Abbey of San Felice in Giano del Umbria, the Foundation house of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Mary putting the smack down on the Devil with a club is a common theme.  There are numerous depictions of the Devil trying to get at a soul, in the guise of a child running to mom for help.

We use our spiritual weapon when we pray the Rosary.

Mary uses her spiritual weapon when she beats the Devil.

I’ve written more about here HERE.

A few more versions just for nice.

 

It’s a whip this time.  Gotta sting.

Our Lady of Succor, ladies and gents.

 

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