In 2015  I planned a pilgrimage for our Catholic Bible Study group. We wanted to visit places in Europe where the relics of  Bible saints were. This adventure took us to the most unique, beautiful places throughout Spain and France.

It was mid-October, so the weather this time of year granted us many graces; it was nearly perfect. The village of Vézelay, France made a huge impression because of its isolated beauty and it held the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. As the bus rolled into the picturesque village surrounded by mountains and valleys, I could not help but think that this place stood still, unscathed by anything that had to do with progress. The air felt lighter, and the blooms of early fall filled the air. Had I known the beauty of this village ahead of time, I would have arranged for us to stay in the village, stroll through the ancient stores, and eat at least two meals there. But that was not to be; however I did purchase a nice bottle of wine grown in the Vézelay region.  Our mission was to visit the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to pray at the relics of St. Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene

Who was this mysterious saint? We know for a fact that she was a disciple of Christ. She was with the Blessed Mother Mary at the foot of the Cross. She never abandoned Jesus on His way to Calvary. Whether she was, or was not, the sister of Martha and Lazarus is still debatable. In the Gospel of (Luke 10:38-42), Martha complains to Jesus about Mary Magdalene not helping her serve the guests. The profound answer that Jesus gave would teach all feminists a lesson on how He treated women. In the times of Jesus, women were second class citizens; they were not even included in the census. Jesus elevated the role of  women when He responded to Martha by explaining that, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Some Bible scholars may disagree that Mary Magdalene was the same woman from whom Jesus expelled seven demons. It’s difficult to contest, but I did find an interesting article on the EWTN website to clear up the matter:

The Relics of Saint Marie-Magdalene at La Sainte Baume

Diocese of Frejus-Toulon, Southern France

The region of Provence was evangelized in the first century by Christians from the East.
Tradition has called them the “Friends of Bethany” or as we know them to be Lazarus, Martha and Mary Magdalene who, it is told, came to the south of France in the following way:

In the year following the execution of St James in Jerusalem, the persecutions were amplified. Lazarus and Martha were thrown into prison and Mary Magdalene, having wanted to visit them, was made prisoner as well along with other members Christian community of Bethany: St Maximin, St Marcelle, St Susan and St. Sidonius. 

This is another excerpt from the same article:

December 9, 1279. Charles Salerno, nephew of St. Louis and who became Count of Provence and King of Sicily under the name of Charles II, rediscovered the tomb and the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. They were then also recognized by an assembled Clergy of the Dioceses of Provence. At the opening of the sarcophagus all present testify to a ”wonderful and very sweet smell” and are reminded of the perfume which St Mary Magdalene poured on the head and feet of the Lord before his death.

December 18, 1279. Discovery in the marble sarcophagus of a writing on papyrus dated 710 attesting that the bones were those of St. Mary Magdalene in the presence of the Archbishops of Aix and Arles, and many other prelates. The jaw and lower leg bones are missing.

History can, at times, be confusing; but it seems that many scholars agree this Mary was the sister of Martha and Lazarus and was, indeed, Mary Magdalene.

Are You Martha or Mary?

The gifts that are bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit will determine that question. Martha clearly was a servant, this was her gift; however, she failed to recognize that her sister had another calling. As Mary Magdalene sat at the feet of Jesus, she was under the anointing of the greatest teacher on earth. How could anyone choose anything different? With this teaching came great faith that followed her journey to France. In many ways I am a Mary Magdalene because I choose to learn more and more about the teachings of Christ. I love the history of Mary Magdalene and how she was the first to experience the Resurrection of Christ.

Ukrainians are fighting a battle for their lives. We in the United States watch from the sidelines and we are blown away by the resilience of this country. Our country’s humanitarian efforts, with the aid of  6.92 billion dollars, has reached its peak. Ukraine is fighting a diabolical battle, and whether they realize it or not, it’s going to take more than missiles and rockets to win this war. It’s going to take prayer!

The Victory Belongs to the Lord

1 Corinthians 15:57   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Our Demons

When a Christian is attacked, it’s because the Enemy knows some special blessing or plan that God has for them in the future. Or another reason for an attack is when you are leading others to Christ, either through a ministry or charitable work. Every time, without fail, I would experience an attack after feeding the homeless on Skid Row. Many times I was so exhausted by the work put forth in picking up the supplies and organizing the sandwich making that my body would ache. In times like this I was too tired to recognize that this was an attack. Sometimes I’d feel defeated because I was too tired to pray.

The spiritual battle is meant to continually erode your senses: first your mind, then your heart, then your spirit. But its main goal is to break your spirit. Once the Devil sees that He has succeeded in doing this, he goes in for the kill. Your self-negative talk greets all the other defeated senses, then you cave in. Once you start speaking defeat, the battle is over because you surrendered all and were too weak to fight. You’ve given up because you see no way out. This happens because when the battle is ongoing, things escalate.  All you believe you can do is wait for the next attack.

Fight the battle

In a real fire you either get out or suffocate. If you stay and hope things get better without battling, you will meet your spiritual death. We refuel by surrounding ourselves with people who will  guide us out of the fire, and by attending regular church services.  We look to God to quench all the fiery darts of the Enemy; we pray by crying out for help. Sometimes this could indicate that you may need professional help. Being Christian does not mean you’re supernatural; ask the Holy Spirit for direction. We all have our crosses, but it’s the way we carry them that will make all the difference. At one time or another, we all cave in and dig a pit so large that we can’t find our way out.

Jesus experienced this torment personally with Satan. How did our Lord fight back? He quoted Scripture. We all have weaknesses that we need to get through; we all have that person in our lives who knows how to trigger our senses.

The Triggers

I have been teaching a Bible study for over 17 years. A few years ago an acquaintance  joined our group. She was well  versed in many areas of life, but she continually interrupted the study. She came across as arrogant with her input, and it made me uncomfortable. At first I would just ignore her comments; but when it became apparent that she wanted to undermine the Bible study, I stood my ground. This woman was studying to become a therapist and she would use some of her training to trigger me. The last conversation we had was her announcing to the group, “Does it bother you when I say that?” Normally my submissive, considerate response would be, “No, not really.” But this time, I had to put her arrogance in check. My reply was, “Yes, it does bother me, and your consistent interruption of the study is disruptive.” That was the last time she attended our study. It took a while for me to reach this point; it was a Bible study, after all, and I needed to express the love of God. But we cannot allow others to bulldoze their way in without taking control of the situation.

Our Family

Our biggest battles will involve our families. They may be suffering ill health, they may be steeped in sin by the influences of others, or they may be involved in drug or alcohol addictions.

When a family member is overcome by a serious illness, it’s important that we lift them up in constant prayer. We pray not only for their well-being but for their state of mind. Why their state of mind? Because when you are debilitated, you can easily fall into a state of feeling sorry for yourself. This is an entry for the Enemy to come in and affirm your weak state of mind. Once you give into negative feelings, your health will follow.

Family relationships are the Devil’s favorite territory. It is  our God-given responsibility to pray our loved ones into the Kingdom of God. You may be suffering from verbal abuse via text messages, or outward disrespect. When people are in sin, they will do everything in their power to keep their lives from being disrupted. Sin blinds them; the deeper they go in, the darker it becomes. They can’t see in the dark so they continue to sin. Anyone who gets in the way of someone blinded by sin is going to be trampled by the diabolical behavior of that person.

The Workplace

If your family is not giving you heartache, the Devil will find a way to disrupt your life. Many times it’s in the workplace with difficult employees, co-workers and other situations to make you fall. We use the same strategy to bring down these strongholds.

How To Pray

Jesus is our perfect example because He quoted Scripture to fight the Devil. We need to have an arsenal of Scripture and speak it forth when we pray. In the midst of the Ukrainian battle, they are going to fight with all they have to win the war. You must believe that you will have the victory. The Ukrainians believe this; otherwise they would have already given up. God is on your side. Quote Scripture: Psalms 46:1-6; Psalms. 27:1-3; Joshua 1:9; 1 Peter 5:7; Ephesians 6:11-17; Deuteronomy 20:4; Deuteronomy 33:37. Pray the Rosary (Luke 1:28) and the Our Father (Luke 11:2-4).

My Prayer

Lord, we proclaim victory in every area of our lives. Father, take hold of these loved ones who are in  sin; convict them of all their darkness and bring them back to the light. Expose the pain and suffering they have caused and heal their brokenness. Lord, receive them as they run toward You. Father God, we come alongside the Ukrainians and pray for a swift victory in this war.  Amen