This week’s reading looks at the Legion Picture, whose centre is Our Lady – enkindled with the Flames of the Holy Spirit, triumphantly crushing Satan and his tight grip on the world. Through this, She demonstrates to us, Her children, that in order to overcome the daily struggles and battles with the world, the flesh and the Devil, we need the power of the Holy Spirit.
As Catholics, we are called to share the Faith with others – to evangelise and save souls, to bring others to know the one, true faith, and ultimately, to know the love of Jesus. But this can be difficult and bear little fruit if we were to do it by ourselves – we must seek the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak in tongues during the feast of Pentecost. The crowd gathered around the apostles heard them speak in each of their own native languages – they could understand what the apostles were saying. This is an example of the Holy Spirit working through the apostles, to move the hearts of the people there and to convert them.
The Holy Spirit also radically transformed the hearts of all the apostles when He came down upon them. Are not the disciples so different, when we compare their past weaknesses and unbelief in the Gospels, to their immense courage and faith in the Acts of the Apostles? The Holy Spirit was able to use them as instruments, to touch the unbelievers (even their persecutors) and to bring healing to the sick. The Holy Spirit anointed their words and actions, such that the people did not see the disciples themselves, but rather, God Himself, who came to touch them.
Our Lord’s public ministry was also anointed by the Holy Spirit – after descending upon Our Lord during His baptism “like a dove”, the Spirit drove Our Lord out into the desert, where He prayed and fasted for 40 days and then began His public ministry of healing and proclaiming the Good News.
Therefore, all of us need the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s will in our lives. And who better to turn to, than Our Lady, most Faithful Spouse of the Holy Spirit?
After all, in the days leading up to the Feast of Pentecost, Our Lady prayed with and for the disciples. Through Her prayers and intercession, the apostles’ hearts became open to receive the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost. This bore so much fruit – the apostles became Spirit-filled and were able to go about bringing the Good News to so many souls.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort once said: “When the Holy Spirit finds Mary in a soul, He flies to it.” Therefore, Devotion to Mary is the surest, fastest, and most assured way of reaching union with the Holy Spirit, since She is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and cannot be separated from Him wherever She goes.
When we are devoted to Mary and give ourselves to her, She, in turn, as a Good Mother, gives Herself to us too. She obtains for us many Graces that we need for our journey to Eternal Life. As St. Bernardine of Siena says: “All the gifts and graces that we receive from God are given by Mary, to whom, when, and as She pleases.” This is also resounded in the closing prayer of the Catena that we Legionaries pray: “…mercifully grant that whoever comes to you seeking your favours, may rejoice to receive all of them through her.”
Mary is the vessel chosen by God, for humanity to receive Jesus. Just as the Lord chose to come to earth through Our Lady, He has also chosen for all of humanity to receive His Graces and Blessings through Her.
Therefore, it is necessary that we make haste to devote ourselves to the Blessed Virgin, for She will ensure that we are treading on the right path – on God’s victorious side of the raging battle between Him and Satan, that we may receive our crown of glory at the end of our lives (just as depicted in the Legion picture).
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