Ave Maria!
Today on the feast of the Triumph of the Cross which is followed by the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows tomorrow, we naturally should direct our attention to Our Lady as Mediatrix of all Graces and Co-Redemptrix. There is a very helpful series of three articles by Henry Karlson at “A Little Bit of Nothing” Patheos blog on Mary, that provides some explanation of the meaning of these terms which can, in fact, cause confusion for Protestants, but also for Catholics.
In part one he explains that these titles do not take away from Jesus’ role as mediator, but highlight it. The meaning of Mediator, as the Fathers of the Church write, centers on Jesus being both God and man, being connected to both parties that are to be mediated between. Thus, it focuses more on the Incarnation where God became man, and thus emphasizes the Marian dimension, the role of Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos.
Part 2 – We see that just because Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man for our salvation does not mean that there is not room for our co-operation and Mary’s in His work of salvation. If Christ has given us all graces then if Mary gave us Christ, she is the mediator of all graces, being the one human representative who gave a yes to the salvific plan of God and provided her own humanity to so He could be a proper mediator as truly human.
Part 3 – Mary is the gateway that connects us to Christ. None of her cooperation belittles what God has done and what He has done for her. As Mary says “for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Lk 1:49). The favors she received show God’s great work in bringing us salvation. As Jesus chose to come to us through Mary so we should come to Him through her as well.
Of all the titles given to Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces and Co-Redemptrix are among the most controversial, even among Catholics. The problem lies in the way they are being read and interpreted. Certainly if we have a predisposition to see these titles as heretical, we will interpret them in such a way so as to force their meaning to be in contradiction to Scripture and authentic Christian tradition. But not everyone misinterprets them for this reason. By the nature of the titles, when read outside of the context in which they are proclaimed, it is easy to get confused as to what they mean. However, if we explore the meaning intended by their use, such interpretations are far different than those suggested by their critics. They can be shown to be perfectly valid, pointing to the role Mary had in salvation history by being the Theotokos. God has become incarnate through her; she gave birth to the one who saves us all. Through her, God the Son, the Logos, became man, and so, became God with Us, able to live out his mission to redeem us through the mediation of the cross. Jesus is the main actor in salvation history, but as an actor, he has others who work with him, and no one works with him more than Mary. Jesus truly is the one who gives us grace, and these titles, far from obscuring this fact are meant to highlight it. There is no one but Jesus who saves us in and with his unique work as mediator between God and man: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tim 2:5 RSV). … More at:
Source: Marian Contemplations X: Mediatrix of All Graces and Co-Redemptrix (Part 1)
