Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix And Advocate

[Laudate_Dominum]

The doctrine of Mary's Spiritual Motherhood, also called Mary's Maternal Mediation has three aspects.

1. Co-Redemptrix

2. Mediatrix of All Grace

3. Advocate

This doctrine has been taught by an endless list of Theologians and spiritual writers down through the ages and has been taught by the ordinary Magisterium of the Church. Many Popes have used the titles and taught the doctrines including our current Holy Father.

The first thing to note is what the doctrine does not mean for the sake of clarity. First of all Jesus Christ is the one and only Redeemer of mankind. This doctrine DOES NOT say that Mary is another redeemer along side Jesus Christ. Also there is one Mediator between God and Men, namely Jesus Christ, this doctrine DOES NOT say that Mary is another mediator along side Jesus Christ.

What does the doctrine say then?

Mary is the spiritual Mother of all humanity. Mary has an exalted role in the Church higher than any other member.

Theologians have described her exalted vocation in it's three aspects that were given above. I will post on each of these three aspects seperately in a minute.

[Laudate_Dominum]

At the Annunciation Our Lady consented to be the Mother of God. By bearing Christ in her womb and bringing Him forth to the world she has mediated every Grace and blessing upon us. She gave birth to the whole Mystical Body of Christ as well, both Head and members. Her vocation as Mother of the Church and Mother of all humanity begins with the Annunciation. The consummation of Her unique vocation is on Calvary where, at the foot of the Cross, united to Her Son in a way only a mother's heart could be, she participated in His immolation in a singular way and became the woman in travail who brings forth Her children. Thus Christ declared to John, "Behold your Mother". He was declaring a fact, she is the true "Mother of the Living", the New Eve. As I mentioned in a post the other day, the Fathers of the Church speak eloquently of Our Lady as the New Eve. Christ is the New Adam, Mary is the New Eve and the Redemption is a recapitulation of fallen history. The three earliest surviving writings that speak of Our Lady as the New Eve are "The Fragments of Papias" from the early second century, Papias appearantly knew the Apostle John. St. Justin Martyr, also second century, speaks eloquently of Our Lady as the New Eve. And St. Ireneas, who was the first great Theologian of the early Church, and who testified that he knew men who had heard John the Apostle's preaching, speaks of the New Eve. Here is a quote:

"As Eve, by the word of an angel [the devil], was induced to abandon God, transgressing His word, so did [Mary] receive the joyous announcement of an angel, that she would bear God, obeying His word. Eve rebelled against God, while Mary consented to obey God and thus became the Advocate of the virgin Eve. Just as by means of a virgin the human race was condemned to death, so by means of a Virgin was it saved, virginal disobedience being counterbalanced by virginal obedience." - Irenaeus, "Against Heresies"

Eve is the disobedient virgin whose fall opened up the gates of death, Mary is the holy virgin who takes the place of our first mother which permits her to "submerge in her womb the death of the mother Eve." In the ancient Church Our Lady was called the "Refuge", "Assistance" and "Protectress of sinners": "Hail, Refuge of mortal men near to God, Who drew us from you and made of you our refuge and strength." - St. Modestus of Jerusalem

This New Eve was foretold by God in the very beginning when after the fall He said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and hers..." The seed of the woman (woman don't have seed so it sort of implies the virgin birth) is the Messiah (and in a sense the Church) who comes to crush the serpent and take away the sins of the world. Christ, the New Adam "became sin", "became a curse", became a serpent like the serpent that was lifted up on a pole, that those who looked upon it would not die. Mary looked upon this serpent, Mary tasted of the fruit of this tree, which was the tree of life.

Anyway, Mary is the "woman" of the prophesy who has a place in this redemption analogous to that of Eve in the Fall.

In the words of the Fathers "death through Eve, life through Mary", the "Mother of the Living."

Edited January 23, 2004 by Laudate_Dominum

[Laudate_Dominum]

Co-Redemptrix means, woman with the Redeemer. It does not denote equality, the "co" means "with" in a subordinate way. Many of the Fathers and Medievals speak of our Lady as the Redemptrix with regard to her role as the New Eve. The prefix "Co" first appears in this title in the 15th century to make it more clear that it's a subordinate role (although everyone already knew that).

As mentioned before the two big events in Our Lady's role as Co-Redemptrix were the Annunciation and Calvary. Christ's sufferings during His Passions and Crucifixion were primarily spiritual, not bodily. Obviously we can't imagine what it would feel like to suffer for all the sins of the world, our frail nature couldn't handle it anyway, Christ had a supernatural capacity to suffer. Anyway, Our Lady was given the biggest share in those sufferings of anyone by far. Partly because she had an Immaculate human nature more capable of deep interior suffering, but also because Jesus was Her true Son. Many Theologians and spiritual writers speak of the mystical sufferings of Our Lady, that because Christ gave Her the deepest share in His sufferings, she was stretched to the limit of Her nature, this was the "sword" that pierced Her heart. A deep interior, mystical sharing in Christ's sufferings. It was through this that she merited to be the Mother of the Church, you could say that with Christ, she bore the Church in travail at the foot of the cross and became it's preeminent member and mother. We are all called to coredemptive suffering, such as when you "offer it up". The lives of the Saints are filled with heroic souls who shared immensely in the sufferings of Christ, who "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of His body the Church". Obviously Christ's sufferings lack nothing, they alone are what has purchased our salvation. Christ won for us what's called the "objective redemption" all the Graces of Salvation come from the Cross. However in the order of the "subjective redemption", that is, the application of the Graces won on Calvary, we as Christians are called, by the mercy, generosity, and wisdom of God's plan, to participate in the application of Christ's merits, to bring those Graces to the world. That's what the Church is, the Sacrament of Christ's Salvivic Grace. We as members of that Church have that role. And really, Mary's participation at Calvary makes Her the channel or conduit of those Graces to the Church. The medievals use the image of Christ as the Head, we are the members, and Mary is the neck.

Mary is the perfection of the Church, it's model and exemplar. And this role is not static, as if she's just the perfect, sinless model of what we are striving toward, she is the exemplar which implies a living, dynamic relationship. The life of the Church is the life of Mary, she is the Mediatrix of All Grace and the Mother of the Church. In the words of St. Maximillian, "God has willed to entrust the entire order of Mercy into Her Immaculate hands". This is the exalted vocation of Our Blessed Queen and Our Mother. Mary has an active and singular role to play in the distribution of the Graces won by Christ on Calvary. She is also our Advocate, which means she intercedes for us, as do all Saints and Angels, but she is more than that, she is our Advocate. As Queen and Mother she has an unparalleled role of intercession and advocacy for the world and the Church.

Edited January 23, 2004 by Laudate_Dominum

[Aloysius]

this is infallible doctrine, not yet declared essential to the gospel message (dogma)

great explanations Laudate.

co-redemtrix highlights mary's role as the new Eve. if she had refused to receive the fruit of salvation, humanity would remain unredeemed. :cool:

[Jake Huether]

The lives of the Saints are filled with heroic souls who shared immensely in the sufferings of Christ, who "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of His body the Church". Obviously Christ's sufferings lack nothing, they alone are what has purchased our salvation. Christ won for us what's called the "objective redemption" all the Graces of Salvation come from the Cross. However in the order of the "subjective redemption", that is, the application of the Graces won on Calvary, we as Christians are called, by the mercy, generosity, and wisdom of God's plan, to participate in the application of Christ's merits, to bring those Graces to the world.

That's the clearest explenation of it that I've heard!

Thanks!

[Laudate_Dominum]

This is why Marian Consecration is so powerful. We are all consecrated to Our Lady whether we know it or not, but by making it explicit it becomes more efficacious because you are more open to the channels of Grace. When you stay close to Our Lady you can't help but recieve all kinds of cool Graces. The image I think of is that, since Our Lady is the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant, for a Christian to try and live the Christian life without Our Lady close by is like the Israelites going into battle without the Ark. With Her a sure victory is at hand.

[phatcatholic]

pham,

there are many excellent articles on this very topic in the "Mary" entry to the reference section in the apologetics board. i hope u will all go check them out!

pax christi,

phatcatholic

[phatcatholic]

Laudate_Dominum,

hey bro, can i put one of ur posts here in the reference section? i think they would be invaluable additions.

holla back,

phatcatholic

[Laudate_Dominum]

hey bro, can i put one of ur posts here in the reference section? i think they would be invaluable additions.

You can do whatever you want with my posts, copy 'em, delete 'em, scrunch or fold 'em.

Peace.

[Dave]

Great work, Laudate!

[Laudate_Dominum]

Thanks Dave! I'm hoping "Truth" will read it and believe! Our Lady has it in for him.

[Dave]

I'm gonna bump this up for everyone's benefit.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Thanks Dave! I have sorely missed this thread. Our Lady is so beautiful and God is so amazing and beyond us.. *sigh*

[Laudate_Dominum]

Bump! This topic keeps coming up.

[Laudate_Dominum]

ditto