about Mary

  I was reading Revelation 12 for my devotions and came across the fantastical story of the "woman and the dragon!"  Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the "woman" is none other than Mary.  And if it is Mary than a fantastical story it is, and quite significant for the Christian. 
  So, whose got it right I often ask myself, Protestants or Catholics, when it comes to the Christian faith.  Well, in terms of Mary I am beginning to see that Catholics have it on the money, so to speak.  In Revelation chapter 12 we have the amazing story of the woman whose going through labor pains, about to give birth to a baby.  So, ok the manger story...but what is revealed is the amazing spiritual scene behind the scenes.  What we don't see in the story.  Revelation fills in a bit more about why this chosen lady "dressed in the sun" is such a great saint! 
  The drama unfolds with a woman, not just any woman, a woman clothed in the sun with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  This other worldly woman is about to do something very much of this world, give birth.  She is crying out with the birth and suffering of labor pains!  But she doesn't just have anyone waiting for her delivery, Satan himself, the dragon is waiting to gobble up her child!  But the child is snatched up and rescued by God himself and the woman went into the desert to be taken care of...then we see again a glimpse into the heavenly battle vs7 "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels..." The chapter goes on to say that Michael wins the war and the accuser of the brethren, or Satan is cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth!  It also explains why the devil is filled with so much rage towards believers..."he knows that his time is short!" 
  So what does he do, in his rage he goes after the "woman."  He "began to pursue the woman who had given birth to the boy."  But God rescues her again..."She was given the two wings of a large eagle in order to fly to her place in the desert..."  where she would be taken care of.  Then the drama continues the "dragon poured out a flood of water after the woman, so that it would carry her away."  But here we read she gets rescued again!  "But the earth helped the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth."  So we see again and again the dragon, or Satan, attacks Mary directly and God rescues her!
   Well, the devil is furious.  The text even says he was "furious with the woman" and he "went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus."v 17.  So, ends the story of the woman dressed in the sun with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  This is no ordinary woman, and this is no ordinary outcome.  The devil was furious he had been cast out of heaven because he knows his time is short.  He was even more furious when he realized he could not stop his own destruction through destroying the Messiah in Mary's womb.  So after realizing he could not destroy Jesus or his mother Mary he decides in rage to go after all her "descendants" or "all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus."  Here is where this story gets personal, gets interesting.  It's talking about us!  Christians, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.  We are actually referred to as descendants of the "woman" who was dressed in the sun, who gave birth to the child. 
   If we are her "descendants" than she is our Mother, our spiritual Mother, the Mother of all believers, the Church.  If she is our Mother than we should surely give her the respect, and attention she is due.  Not only our Mother, but the greatest saint who ever lived.  This chosen woman of God, not only said "yes" to the great earthly difficulty and suffering; ie. having a child out of wedlock in a country that stones such people, but she also said yes to an immense spiritual battle in which she was the sole object, target of the evil one to destroy.  She took on the devil in person through her guts, her faith, and God delivered her each time!
  When I was in the Protestant church I never heard much of Mary, but now that I am back in the church of my youth, the Catholic church I see within scriptures the truth of their teachings about Mary.  The importance she has to the church, the great lessons we can learn from such a humble saint who said "yes" to so much suffering yet had a simple humble faith that often "stored up these things in her heart."  May we be more like this humble servant of God, may we be more like our spiritual Mother, the Mother of the Church, Mary.  We must remember the spiritual battle, the devil knows his time is short, now his attention and anger is focused on every one of us, who are followers of the Christ.  May we have the faith to trust in God to rescue us from each of the enemy’s attacks.  May we have peace in God, who is conquer of all, rescuer, defender.  Nothing happens without his permission, His knowing, and He is mighty to be able to rescue us, deliver us into his care, if we just say "yes" to Him and no to the world.