Queen of hell and the demons, Mary: Day 029

Queen of hell and the demons

To speak of Mary as queen of hell may sound surprising and even confusing. But St. Alphonsus explains.

Not only is the most Blessed Virgin the queen of heaven and of all saints. She is also queen of hell and of all evil spirits. For she overcame them valiantly by her virtues. From the very beginning God foretold the victory and empire that our queen would one day gain over the serpent, when he announced to him that a woman would come into the world to conquer him: “I will put enmity between you and the woman. . . . She will crush your head” (Gn 3:15). And who could this woman, his enemy, be but Mary, who by her fair humility and holy life always conquered him and beat down his strength?

As St. Bernard remarks, this proud spirit, in spite of himself, was beaten down and trampled underfoot by this most Blessed Virgin. Now, as a slave con- quered in war, he is forced always to obey the commands of this queen: “Beaten down and trampled under the feet of Mary, the Devil endures a wretched slav- ery.” And she bound him in such a way that this enemy cannot stir so as to do even the least injury to any of those who go to her for protection.

“My children,” Mary seems to say, “when the enemy assails you, fly to me. Cast your eyes on me, and be of good heart. Since I am your defender, victory is assured to you.” In this way, turning to Mary is a most secure means to conquer all the assaults of hell. For she is even the queen of hell and sovereign mistress of the demons, since she is the one who tames and crushes them. St. Bernardine of Siena expresses the thought this way: “The most Blessed Virgin rules over the regions of hell. She is therefore called the ruling mistress of the demons, because she brings them into subjection.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
What does it mean to say that Mary is queen of hell? What encouragement should I take in knowing that she is “sovereign mistress of the demons,” so that they are conquered slaves with no choice but to obey her command?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. John Bosco: Mary, most powerful Virgin, you are the mighty and glorious protector of the Church. In the midst of our anguish, our struggle, and our distress, defend us from the power of the Enemy, and at the hour of our death receive our soul into heaven.

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