Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron says that there is a “spiritual call” in our times, and it’s linked to a feast day we’ve recently celebrated: the Queenship of Mary.
In a video q-and-a with Brandon Vogt, his colleague at Word on Fire, Bishop Barron gives a range of considerations on the sexual abuse scandal, including the “testimony” from Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò.
He concludes his reflections with some ideas on “spiritual warfare.”
“On the [August 22] Feast Day of the Queenship of Mary, I talked [with priests] about why it’s not a twee, sentimental feast. On the contrary, Mary the Queen is associated with Christ the King. And in the Israelite tradition, the king and his queen mother are warrior figures. They do battle with the enemies of Israel. And so now Christ and Mary, his queen mother, are warriors in the great spiritual struggle,” he said.
The concept of spiritual warfare points to the fact that though we cannot see it, life on earth is a battle against the work of Satan and his demons, even as we count on the victory of divine grace and the aid of angels and saints.
“Does anyone doubt that the demonic power has been at work in this terrible time? I think you’d be naïve in the extreme to deny it,” Bishop Barron said.
“What’s our job?” he asked. “Get in the army. Get in the army of Christ the King and Mary the Queen Mother, and fight with them for the purification of our Church: through prayer and penance, through abstinence and fasting, through raising of one’s voice and calling of the bishops—whatever means you want to use, cooperate with Christ the King in his cleansing and purifying work. That’s the spiritual call of our time.”
See the full transcript of the q-and-a here.
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And today we celebrate...