FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER

The Virgin Mary, evil spirits and the Sacrament of Confession

You came out of your large statue which lies right above the tabernacle in the church which bears your name, when I was unknowingly surrounded by some evil spirits that Saturday afternoon while awaiting my turn in line to go to confession. I was already nervous at being there despite the priest-confessor being very good and thorough, kind and gentle, as it was only the second time I was attending after not having been for a significant period of time. Sitting in the pew waiting, I was hoping against hope that the person before me would get their confession over and done with, so that I could get in and out as quickly as possible. I had purposely sat at the end of the pew so if I felt I could not make it, I would be able to leave easily – hopefully unnoticed and without disturbing other people. 

As soon as you saw the evil spirits surround me and try to pressure me into fleeing the church, through the extremely intense, almost-unbearable desolation they brought with them and which felt as though it would never stop increasing, you came! You came even though, at the time, I did not fully understand what was happening. You descended determinedly from your statue, made a beeline for the evil spirits and stood right there in front of me, face to face, fully clothed in white; with your blue-ribboned, floor-length mantle draped all around you. This time you were not wearing your crown.

The evil spirits fled in great fright as soon as they saw you and the almost-unbearable sense of desolation evaporated. You then took my left hand in your right hand and said, “Come” in that beautifully melodious, medium-pitched, sweet voice of yours. You waited there with me, standing and gently holding my hand, while I remained seated until it was my turn to enter the confessional. Then you walked with me over to the priest in loco your divine Son, releasing my hand only after I crossed the threshold of the confessional, so I could close its door behind me.

When I came out of the confessional after my soul had been cleansed from all my sins, I discovered that you had remained patiently waiting for me; standing there, outside, like the good Mother you are. In fact, as soon as I opened the confessional door, you came right up to me and draped your wide mantle over me with your right hand, so evil spirits would not be able to get to me. I saw your mantle settle down upon me as though it was a large, square handkerchief which enveloped me from head to toe. Then after I walked over to the pew, to start fulfilling my penance, you quietly disappeared.

All of the above is once again a brief, experiential description of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. It is additionally an example of Her ceaseless, maternal care toward us human beings, even when we do not invoke Her assistance either knowingly or unknowingly.