The Devil is tormented by devotion to Mary, Mary: Day 057

The Devil is tormented by devotion to Mary

St. Alphonsus recalls a story that illustrates yet one more reason for devotion to Mary: It torments the Devil!

A hermit on Mount Olivet kept a devout image of Mary in his room, and said many prayers as he knelt before it. The Devil was unable to endure such devotion to the Blessed Virgin. So he continually tormented the man with impure thoughts.

The harassment was so severe that the poor old hermit, seeing that all his prayers and penances didn’t deliver him from those thoughts, one day said to the Enemy: “What have I done to you that you would torment me to death?”

At this the Devil appeared to him and replied, “You torment me much more than I do you. But if you will swear to keep it secret, I will tell you what you must give up for me to stop molesting you.”

The hermit took the oath. Then the Devil said: “You must no longer pray before that image that you have in your cell.”

The hermit, perplexed at this, went to consult the Abbot Theodore. The abbot told him that he was not bound by his oath, and that he must not cease to entrust himself to Mary in prayer before the image, as he had always done. The hermit obeyed, and the Devil was put to shame and conquered. —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Do I ever experience the Enemy’s harassment or distraction when I’m trying to meditate or pray? If I persevere in my devotions, do I eventually win the battle?

CLOSING PRAYER
“Every day,” Lord Jesus, with your Blessed Mother beside me, “I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever.” For “the Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him” (Ps 145:2, 18–19).

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