Turn to Mary when Satan appears to have the upper hand

When the world is in disarray and it appears that Satan is gaining ground, it can be tempting to lose hope.

Yet, that is precisely the time to turn to the Virgin Mary!

Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this truth during an address before praying the midday Angelus in 2009.

After the original sin, God addresses the serpent, which represents Satan, curses it and adds a promise: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gn 3: 15). It is the announcement of revenge: at the dawn of the Creation, Satan seems to have the upper hand, but the son of a woman is to crush his head. Thus, through the descendants of a woman, God himself will triumph. Goodness will triumph. That woman is the Virgin Mary of whom was born Jesus Christ who, with his sacrifice, defeated the ancient tempter once and for all. This is why in so many paintings and statues of the Virgin Immaculate she is portrayed in the act of crushing a serpent with her foot.

Satan may appear to be powerful and to have a large influence in the world. However, the Virgin Mary has been sent to crush the head of that evil serpent.

Pope Benedict concludes his message by urging everyone to turn to Mary in their times of need.

Dear friends, what an immense joy to have Mary Immaculate as our Mother! Every time we experience our frailty and the promptings of evil, we may turn to her and our hearts receive light and comfort. Even in the trials of life, in the storms that cause faith and hope to vacillate, let us recall that we are her children and that our existence is deeply rooted in the infinite grace of God. Although the Church is exposed to the negative influences of the world, she always finds in Mary the star to guide her so that she may follow the route pointed out to her by Christ.

Never lose hope and always invoke the Blessed Virgin’s intercession to defeat evil.

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