The Place of Refuge

Revelation 12: 1-10

When the woman (an image of both Mary and the Church) is beset by the dragon she flees into the desert for refuge, a choice that seems strange to us but one that is eminently wise.  For the dragon represents the powers of the world - they seek only power, prestige, wealth, and influence.  The desert is of no value to them.  The desert is not a place of worldly influence and power.

The desert is, however, the place of refuge for the faithful.  It is here that Moses encounters God at the burning bush, here where Israel has its most intimate moments with God, here where Jesus overcomes the wiles of the evil one and is tended by angels.  The desert is where the early Church sought refuge when the Romans came to destroy Jerusalem, there where Christian hermits went to flee compromising churchmen when the church was made the official religion of the empire.  The desert is ever and always the place of refuge.

Mary continually sought refuge in God alone and God raised her up in her last days.  If we seek refuge in the desert - where we are totally devoid of earthly help and reliant on God alone - and not in the places of power, wealth, and worldly influence we too will have eternal refuge and perpetual peace. Today's feast is a reminder of our desert refuge of intimacy with God alone and its continual reward.