Against Satan’s seduction, seek refuge in the Mother of God

Beware, the Pope warned, of the devil’s seduction. “The devil is a seducer,” Francis reminded, saying, he “knows what words to tell us” and this is dangerous as “we like to be seduced.”

“He has this ability; this ability to seduce. This is why it is so difficult to understand that he is a loser, because he presents himself with great power, promises you many things, brings you gifts – beautiful, well wrapped – ‘Oh, how nice!’ – but you do not know what’s inside – ‘But, the card outside is beautiful.’ The package seduces us without letting us see what’s inside. He can present his proposals to our vanity, to our curiosity.”

His light, Francis said, is dazzling, but it vanishes.

The devil who ‘is very dangerous,’ the Pope admitted, presents himself with all his power, yet “his proposals are all lies.” “We, fools,” he said, “believe.” Stressing the devil “is the great liar, the father of lies,” the Pope noted, “he can speak well,” “is able to sing to deceive.”

“He is a loser but moves like a winner,” whose light is dazzling, “like a firework” but does not last and fades, whereas the Lord’s is “mild but permanent.”

… In the end, go to the mother, like children. When the children are afraid, they go to the mother: ‘Mom, mom … I’m scared!’ When they have bad dreams … they go to their mothers.

“Go to the Madonna; she guards us. And the Fathers of the Church, especially the Russian mystics, say: in the time of spiritual turmoil, take refuge under the mantle of the great Mother of God. Go to the Mother. May she help us in this fight against the defeated, against the chained dog to win it.”

Pope Francis concluded, urging us always to seek refuge in the Mother of God.

Zenit