Recently, one evening, as Roger, my husband and I, were praying the Holy Rosary at home, I was struck by something. A candle cast light, in a particular way, upon our statue of Our Lady, highlighting Her foot.
In fact, the candle was casting light only upon Her foot – the foot, which stands, crushing the head of the serpent.
As I prayed, the candlelight held my gaze, upon Our Lady’s foot. And I was reminded of Her role as the second Eve and Her power to crush evil. This all brought to mind what our Lord God had said to the serpent after the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden:
I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel (Genesis 3: 14).
Many statues of Our Blessed Lady depict the heel of Her foot crushing the head of the serpent. And as Roger and I prayed the Rosary and I gazed at Her lighted foot these thoughts remained with me.
I was reminded of how She was born Immaculate, becoming the only creature to walk this earth, with footsteps unblemished by original sin. And that She is the only created representative, who resembles the world before the fall from grace – who represents, or rather is, nature unfallen.
And having never fallen from grace, She is our constant reminder of this perfect world that God created, free from sin – a world created from love, in which love rules supreme. And as Our Blessed Lady reminds us of that world, we are naturally focused upon our goal, to reclaim our loving connection with God our Father and Creator – to return home to Paradise.
Her Immaculate Heart shines, emitting Her pure love upon all those who call upon Her. And call upon her we must. For, ‘full of grace’ Mary awaits our prayers, our petitions in order to intercede and be the bearer of those graces for us. She is a channel of grace – a channel between Heaven and earth. She receives our earthly petitions and presents them to the Lord. Through Her, graces are then bestowed upon us.
When Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, in the Rue Du Bac, Paris, on the evening of Saturday, 27th November, 1830, rays of light were pouring from Her hands. They were pouring from bejewelled rings upon her fingers. She said to St. Catherine:
These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask.
In other words, there are far more graces available, than petitions and prayers are requested. And there, seated on Her Heavenly throne, Our Lady awaits our requests, eager to bestow these graces upon us. She is eager to intercede for us, Her children, dear to Her heart, whom She loves perfectly.
Let us then, not hesitate to implore Her aid, and become the recipients of those beautiful graces, which fall upon us, from the gems on Her delicate fingers.
Once again, let us pray those beautiful words, attributed to St. Bernard:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Hail Mary full of grace, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, pray for us.
Our Lady Immaculate, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.
