Fall-Winter 2013-2014

shown stepping on and crushing the head of the ancient serpent — Satan. God abides in her; He lives in her. She is the tabernacle of His presence and the Holy of Holies. Of her- self, she does not have the power to conquer Satan and do such great things because she is a creature, but God desires to crush the dark- ness through her. He could do it all by Himself, but because He is so in love with Mary, He has chosen only to defeat Satan through her. By living in her, He gives her a unique participation in the mystery of salvation, and together, they defeat the enemy. Therefore, if we want to conquer sin and evil, we must make a decision to live under the mantle of God’s masterpiece: the Immaculata. If God Himself lives in her and conquers evil through her, who are we to think that we do not need her! As a matter of fact, as God’s masterpiece, the mystery of the Immaculate Conception assures us of the victorious redemption of Christ. Let me explain: The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a gift flowing from the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary; it is the most perfect fruit of His redeeming love. Yet, historically, Mary is given this tremen- dous privilege even before the Word becomes flesh, and way before He is crucified on the Cross — the event that wins for us all the graces of redemption, including Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is the guarantee that our redemption is coming and will happen. The reason is because without the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, Mary cannot have the gift of having been immaculately conceived. Mary cannot be the Immaculata without the sacrifice of Jesus. The dream has become reality! Father Donald Calloway, MIC, shares with pilgrims on the topic “Our Lady: Masterpiece of Mercy and Mother of the New Evangelization” at a Divine Mercy conference on April 6 in Stockbridge, Mass. MH FOR THE REST OF THE STORY ... R ead Fr. Donald’s inspiring book about living under Our Lady’s mantle. Now that you’ve had the chance to enjoy the excerpt, order a copy of Under the Mantle and read more personal insights from Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, on topics including Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, the papacy, the Church, confession, prayer, the cross, masculinity, and femininity. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the central thread weaving a tapestry throughout with quotes about Our Lady from saints, blesseds, and popes. Acclaimed as a “tour de force” Marian book. B20-UTM • $19.95 To order, call toll-free: 1-800-462-7426 or online: shopmercy.org/b20. Available as ebook f eLix C arroLL Back to index