Evil, injustice, hatred, and negativity can seem overwhelming. The world can be a scary and nerve-wracking place in which to live. There are many images and symbols in the Bible that give us hope and courage. The woman clothed with the sun in Revelation is one of them. As the light struggles to be born into the world, darkness in the form of the dragon is poised to devour and destroy it. In the end, however, the light is triumphant. The story is about the salvation, power, and glory of God. In the end, God always wins - we need to remember that constantly. Christ is even now in the process of conquering and subjecting the enemies of God, the greatest enemy being death. We are patient partners in that process.

Mary was a great woman of faith and as such also longed for a just and peaceful world. In the Magnificat, she praised God for pulling the proud and arrogant down from their thrones and exalting the lowly. God also filled the hungry with good things and sent away the satisfied with nothing. Injustice and disobedience to divine law will not be permitted to go on forever. There is always a time of accounting for our actions. We praise the God of justice and mercy, and we long to be part of this redemption of our world.