{"id":3821,"date":"2015-07-30T03:30:19","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T08:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/?p=3821"},"modified":"2015-07-18T12:54:47","modified_gmt":"2015-07-18T17:54:47","slug":"rebecca-is-an-image-of-mary-mary-day-009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/2015\/07\/30\/rebecca-is-an-image-of-mary-mary-day-009\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebecca is an image of Mary, Mary: Day 009"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"year_with_mary_alphonsus_2\"$ <\/a>Rebecca is an image of Mary<\/strong><\/p>\n

In her preparation of food for her husband Isaac, St. Alphonsus notes, Rebecca foreshadowed Mary\u2019s desire to render sinners dear to her Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Old Testament patriarch Isaac desired to eat some wild game. So he promised his blessing to his son Esau if he would procure this food for him. However, Rebecca was anxious for her other son, Jacob, to receive the blessing. So she called him and said, \u201cGo to the flock, and fetch me two good kids, that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he loves\u201d (Gn 27:9). St. Antoninus says: \u201cRebecca was a figure of Mary, who commands the angels to bring her sinners (symbolized by the kids), so that she may prepare them in such a way (by obtaining for them sorrow and intention to repent) that she can render them dear and acceptable to her Lord.\u201d Here we may well apply to our Blessed Lady the words of the Abbot Franco: \u201cO truly wise woman, who knew how to dress these kids so well that they are not only equal to real venisonin flavor, but often superior to it!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget that \u201cthere is no sinner in the world, however much he may be at enmity with God, who doesn\u2019t return to him and recover his grace, if he turns to her and asks her assistance.\u201d The same saint one day heard Jesus Christ address his mother, saying that \u201cshe would be ready to obtain the grace of God for Lucifer himself, if only he humbled himself so far as to seek her aid.\u201d We know that proud spirit will of course never humble himself so far as to implore the protection of Mary. But if such a thing were possible, Mary would be sufficiently compassionate, and her prayers would have sufficient power to obtain both forgiveness and salvation for him from God. But what can never happen with regard to the Devil has been proved in the case of sinners who turn to this compassionate mother.
\n\u2014St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary<\/p>\n

IN GOD\u2019S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .<\/strong>
\nHow might Mary \u201cdress\u201d me so that I can become more \u201cpalatable\u201d to the Lord? What \u201cspices\u201d (virtues) do I need that I\u2019m now lacking?<\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER<\/strong>
\nBlessed Lady, beloved of God, fragrant with \u201call chief spices\u201d of the holy virtues (Sg 4:14), draw me close after you, and let us run together (see Sg 1:4), so that I may imitate your holiness, and the fragrance of your virtues may become mine as well.<\/p>\n

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