MARY COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE

MARY COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Dedicated to: Pope John Paul II and the Bishops of the Universal Church

MARY COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Mark I. Miravalle, S.T.D. Foreword by Luigi Cardinal Ciappi, O.P.

iv MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE NIHIL OBSTAT: Father James Dunfee, Censor Librorum IMPRIMATUR: Most Reverend Gilbert Sheldon Bishop of Steubenville May 6, 1993 Cover design: Art Mancuso 1993 Mark I. Miravalle, S.T.D. All rights reserved Library of Congress Catalog #93-84470 Published by: Queenship Publishing P.O. Box 220 Goleta, CA 93116 Phone: (800) 647-9882 Fax (805) 967-5843 ISBN: 1-882972-10-4

Dedication TO POPE JOHN PAUL II AND THE BISHOPS OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH: May the Mother of Jesus, who by her prayers implored the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the first Apostles at Pentecost, intercede today for a new descent of the Holy Spirit upon the highest shepherds and pastors of the Church, inspiring and sustaining them in the great challenge of the guidance of the People of God in our day. May the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, strengthen and guide them to proclaim the whole truth about Mary, who is Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, Spouse of the Spirit, and Mother of the Church.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE vii Contents Foreword... ix Author s Preface... xi Introduction... xiii Chapter One: Mary, Coredemptrix with the Redeemer... 1 Gen 3:15 Old Testament Prophecy of the Coredemptrix... 1 Is 7:14 Mother of the Suffering Servant... 3 Lk 1:38 New Testament Beginning of Coredemptrix... 3 Early Church Fathers: Mary, the New Eve... 5 Lk 2:35 Presentation Prophecy of the Coredemptrix... 8 Jn 19:26 Climax of the Coredemptrix... 10 The Work of Redemption... 10 The Coredemptrix in the Work of Redemption... 11 Papal Teaching on the Coredemptrix at Calvary... 12 John Paul II and Jn 19:26 The Coredemptrix... 20 Summary... 23 Chapter Two: Mary, Mediatrix with the Mediator and the Sanctifier... 25 1 Tim 2:5 Sharing in the One Mediation of Christ... 25 Mary s Unique Sharing in the One Mediation of Christ... 28 New Testament Outline of the Mediatrix (Lk 1:38; 1:41; Jn 2:1)... 29 Lk 1:38 Mediatrix of Christ: Source of All Graces... 29 Lk 1:41 Mediatrix in the Visitation of Graces... 30 Jn 2:1 Mediatrix of the First Miracle and Public Ministry of Christ... 31 Jn 19:26 The Establishment of the Mediatrix of Graces... 34 The Fathers and the Mediatrix of Graces... 36 Papal Teachings on Jn 19:26 and the Mediatrix of All Graces... 40 John Paul II and the Maternal Mediatrix of All Graces (Jn 19:26)... 47 Acts 1:4 The Holy Spirit and the Mediatrix of All Graces... 50 The Spirit and the Mediatrix in the Distribution of Graces... 52 Summary... 56

viii MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Chapter Three: Mary, Advocate for the People of God... 59 Old Testament Role of the Queen Mother (1 Kings 2, 8, 15; 2 Kings: 11, 24; Prov 31:8, 9)... 60 Rev 12:1 Advocate and Queen for the People of God... 61 Queen Mother and Advocate in the New Kingdom of Christ (Lk 1:32; Lk 1:44; Jn 2:3; Jn 19:26; Rev 12:1)... 62 Church Fathers and Mary Advocate... 64 Papal Teaching on Mary, Advocate for the People of God... 66 Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the Advocate for the People of God Today... 69 Summary... 72 Conclusion: Co-redeemers in Christ... 75 Mary Coredemptrix as Contemporary Model for the Church... 75 Cf. Col 1:24, 1 Cor 3:6 Co-redeemers in Christ... 76 Final Statement... 78 An Appeal from Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici... 84

Foreword Rome 5 May 1993 I read with pleasure and admiration this theological study about Mary, Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate. It is all in conformity with Divine Revelation, in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, in the Tradition of the Church from the times of the Apostles, and in the solemn and ordinary Magisterium of the Church, up to and including Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, Redemptoris Mater. I had the great honor to be the professor of Mariology to the Polish student Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), when he attended the Pontifical Athenaeneum International Angelicum in Rome, for his license and doctorate in Theology (1947-1948). The doctrine of St. Albert the Great (now thought to be Pseudo- Albert) and of St. Thomas Aquinas about the maternal participation of the Virgin Mother in the Redemption as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate had a great influence in the Church. I share the hope of Dr. Mark Miravalle: With the profound contribution of our present Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, to the understanding of the mediating mystery of Mary with Christ and the Church... there is only one final action that remains in bringing the Marian roles of Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate... into the fullest acknowledgement and ecclesial life of the People of God: that our Holy Father, in his office as Vicar of Christ on earth and guided by the Spirit of Truth, define and proclaim the Marian roles of Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate for the People of God as Christian dogma revealed by God, in rightful veneration of the Mother of Jesus, and for the good of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ. Yours sincerely in Christ and in the Virgin Mary, Luigi Cardinal Ciappi, O.P. Papal Theologian Emeritus for Popes Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II

Preface The following document concerning Mary, Mother of Jesus, contains little that is fundamentally new. It is rather for the most part a synthesis of Mary s exalted roles as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate as they are already contained in the sources of divine revelation, Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, as interpreted by the Magisterium (cf. Dei Verbum, n. 9, 10), and as it is presently understood and experienced in the dynamic ecclesial life of the Living, Pondering, and Praying Church, the People of God. It is true that in the divine drama of how God makes himself and his will known to humanity, certain doctrinal truths are only more fully penetrated after the Church has ages of human history in which to ponder and reflect upon the divine seeds of these truths which are contained in the Word of God, both written and handed down. If God has reserved a greater and more complete understanding of certain revealed seeds of faith regarding Mary, the Mother of Jesus, until our own recent centuries, then such a greater understanding granted by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, should not be met with a potentially stagnant incredulity on this fact alone. Rather, it should evoke a fresh appreciation for the everdynamic designs of God in leading the pilgrim People of God towards their eternal home, and for the Holy Spirit, who blows where he wills (cf. Jn 3:8). I believe such to be the case about the roles of Mary, Mother of Jesus, as the Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate for the People of God. This in no way infers a new public revelation about the Mother of Jesus; but rather a new and more developed penetration into the already revealed truths about Mary and the intimate union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation (Lumen Gentium, n. 57). May our minds and hearts be one with the Lord and his words at the Last Supper, in openness to and trust in the Holy Spirit, the Counselor of the People of God and Divine Spouse of Mary, in leading us to the deepest possible understanding about the revelation of God concerning the Mother of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit lead us to the whole truth about Mary: I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them

xii MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come (Jn 16:12). Mark I. Miravalle, S.T.D. Associate Professor of Theology and Mariology Franciscan University of Steubenville 31 May 1993

Introduction When the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman...to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:4-5). It was the will of the heavenly Father that his Son, Jesus Christ, be sent into the world for the purpose of redeeming the human family (cf. Jn 3:16, Phil 2:6-11). It was also the will of the Father that a woman be intimately involved in this wondrous plan of human redemption; for as John Paul II tells us, the Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation. 1 In the rich Tradition of the Church founded by Christ, four divinely revealed doctrines about Mary, Mother of Jesus, have come forth from the inspired pages of Sacred Scripture, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, these Marian doctrines have been gradually brought to light by the living Church. 2 The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and of the redeemer. 3 These words of the Second Vatican Council echo the Council of Ephesus where in 431 A.D. this early ecumenical council defined the first Marian doctrine which, the Motherhood of God, Theotokos, proclaims that Mary is truly the Mother of God the Son made man: the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God since according to the flesh she brought forth the Word of God made flesh. 4 1 Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 25 March 1987, n. 1. 2 Cf. Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), n. 9-10, as contained in Austin Flannery, O.P., ed., Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, New York, Costello Publishing Co., 1975 (all later Vatican II Conciliar references will be cited from this source by the document s Conciliar name). 3 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), n. 53. 4 Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D., as cited from Henricus Denzinger, Enchiridion Symbolorum, Definitionum et Declarationum De Rebus Fidel et Morum,

xiv MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE A few centuries later, the living and praying Church, pondering the Scriptural revelation of Mary s virginity, defined the second Marian doctrine, the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. At the Lateran Council in 649, Pope Martin I proclaimed the three-fold nature of the virginity of Mary: she conceived without seed, of the Holy Spirit...and without injury brought him forth...and after his birth preserved her virginity inviolate. 5 The third Marian doctrine came to its most complete illumination by the Church more than a thousand years later. The Most Holy Virgin Mary was, in the first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin. 6 The infallible statement by Pope Pius IX in 1854 which defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary confirmed centuries of Christian belief that she who was greeted by the angel as full of grace (Lk 1:28) entered into human existence without the stain of original sin. In more recent times, the Assumption of Mary was the fourth Marian doctrine defined to be contained in God s revelation to humanity. Mary, the immaculate perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven. 7 The woman who intimately shared in the victory of Christ over the serpent (cf. Gen 3:15) could not suffer the effects of sin and death that came from the Evil one and his seed, with whom she was given complete enmity by Almighty God. But at the same time we know that the Marian mystery in God s plan of salvation does not end with the earthly life of the Virgin of Nazareth and her departure. The Second Vatican Council reminds us: Taken up in Heaven she did not lay aside this saving office, but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. 8 The Council goes on to say: Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. 9 These titles of Mary, such as Mediatrix and Advocate, refer to roles given to Mary by the heavenly Father and sustained by the Holy Spirit because of her intimate sharing in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. To understand, therefore, the roles of Mary as Mediatrix and Barcelona, ed., Herder, 1946, n. 113 (all later references from this source will be entered as D followed by the reference number). 5 Pope Martin I, Lateran Council, 649 A.D., D 256. 6 Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854, D 1641. 7 Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, 1950. 8 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 62. 9 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 62.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Advocate which she now exercises with the aid of the Holy Spirit from her rightful place in Heaven, we must examine the meritorious foundation for these God-given roles during her earthly life as the handmaid of the Lord (Lk 1:38). Thus the daughter of Adam, Mary, consenting to the word of God, became the Mother of Jesus. Committing herself wholeheartedly and impeded by no sin to God s saving will, she devoted herself totally, as a handmaid of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son, under and with him, serving the work of redemption... 10 Mary s intimate cooperation with the Redeemer began at the Annunciation, where she freely participated in the work of man s salvation through faith and obedience (cf. Lk 1:28). But the cooperation of the Mother of the Redeemer in the work of redemption did not cease with her fiat to the angel. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim which was born of her. 11 These profound words of the Second Vatican Council describe the spiritual sufferings and intimate cooperation Mary experienced with the Redeemer at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19:26) in perfect maternal obedience to God s plan of salvation. It is in light of Mary s unique and intimate cooperation with the Redeemer, both at the Incarnation (cf. Lk 1:28) and at the work of Redemption at Calvary (cf. Jn 19:26), that the Church has invoked Mary under the title, Coredemptrix. 12 The prefix co does not mean equal, but comes from the Latin word, cum, which means with. The title of Coredemptrix applied to 10 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 56. 11 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 58. 12 For example, see Pope Pius XI, Radio message to Lourdes, 28 April 1935, L Osservatore Romano: O Mother of piety and mercy, who as Coredemptrix stood by your most sweet Son suffering with Him when He consummated the redemption of the human race on the altar of the cross...(emphasis added). For other appearances of the Marian title Coredemptrix in official Church documents, see Sacred Congregation of Rites, 13 May 1908, Acta Apostolicae Sedis (in later references AAS ) 41, 1908, p. 408; Holy Office, Decree of 26 June 1913, AAS, 5, 1913, p. 364; Holy Office, Decree of 22 January 1914, AAS, 6, 1914, p. 108; Pope Pius XI, L Osservatore Romano, 1 December 1933, L Osservatore Romano, 25 March 1934. Cf. P. Gabriele M. Roschini O.S.M., Maria Santissima Nella Storia Delia Salvezza, Isola de Liri, Italy, Editrice m. Pisani, 1969, p. 126. xv

xvi MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE the Mother of Jesus never places Mary on a level of equality with Jesus Christy the divine Lord of all, in the saving process of humanity s redemption. Rather, it denotes Mary s singular and unique sharing with her Son in the saving work of redemption for the human family. The Mother of Jesus participates in the redemptive work of her Saviour Son, who alone could reconcile humanity with the Father in his glorious divinity and humanity. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, redeems the human family, as the God-man. Mary, who is completely subordinate and dependent to her redeeming Son even for her own human redemption, 13 participates in the redemptive act of her Son as his exalted human mother. Because of her intimate and unparalleled sharing in the mysterious work with the divine Redeemer, Mary, human Mother of the Redeemer, has merited the Church title, Coredemptrix which literally means, with the Redeemer. Mary s other roles in the Church as Mediatrix 14 and Advocate 15 are in fact a flowing over of her role as Coredemptrix. Pope John Paul II tells us, Mary s role as Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son. 16 There remains one final doctrinal pillar of the Marian mystery revealed by God that seems to call for the proclamation of clarity and truth that only the Church can provide in its crucial task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God. 17 It is the Christian revelation of Mary as Coredemptrix with the Redeemer, as well as the resulting roles of Mediatrix and Advocate for the People of God. For the People of God, as the Council tells us, still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home. 18 Let us proceed to examine these Marian roles of Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate, as they manifest themselves in the rich revelation of the Word of God entrusted to the Church. 19 Let us in a special way invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, 13 Mary herself is redeemed by the saving merits of Jesus Christ at Calvary through an application of the graces of redemption at the moment of her conception by God who is out of time, cf. Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854. 14 Cf. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 62. 15 Cf. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 62. 16 Pope John Paul II, Papal Address at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Alborada in Guayaquil, 31 January 1985, L Osservatore Romano, 11 March 1985. 17 Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), n. 10. 18 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 62. 19 Cf. Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum, n. 10.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE xvii for the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church and through her to the world leads believers to the full truth, and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness (cf. Col 3:16). 20 Hence the Christian faithful will be able to listen attentively to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches today about the Handmaid of the Lord (cf. Rev 2:7, 11, 17; Lk 1:38). 21 20 Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum, n. 8. 21 Cf. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Mater, n. 30.

Chapter One MARY COREDEMPTRIX WITH THE REDEEMER Gen 3:15 Old Testament Prophecy of the Coredemptrix The first revelation of Mary s intimate cooperation with the Redeemer is contained in the first great prophecy of the redemption found in the First Gospel (Protoevangelium), the book of Genesis. The Second Vatican Council tells us: The books of the Old Testament describe the history of salvation, by which the coming of Christ into the world was slowly prepared. The earliest documents, as they are read in the Church and are understood in light of a further and full revelation, bring the figure of a woman, Mother of the Redeemer, into a gradually clearer light. Considered in this light, she is already prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of victory over the serpent which was given to our first parents after their fall into sin (cf. Gen 3:15). 22 The Mother of the Redeemer and her providential role in redemption is prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of the future Saviour revealed in the inspired book of Genesis. Following the sin committed by our first parents in the garden, God addresses the serpent: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head and you shall lie in wait for his heel (Gen 3:15). The sacred text reveals a crucial struggle, singular and absolute, between the tempter Satan and the future redeemer, Jesus Christ. This revealed struggle will end in triumph for the seed of the woman. 23 The woman foreshadows the mother of the redeemer, who intimately shares in the same struggle and same victory as the future redeemer against the serpent of evil. For it was God s manifest will that the Woman share in the same enmity between herself and the serpent as does her redeeming seed (cf. Gen 3:15). This struggle and victory 22 Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, no. 55. 23 Pope Pius IX, Apostolic Letter, Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854; cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptor Hominis, 1979, n. 8.

2 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE over the serpent foreshadows the great work of redemption effected by the Saviour of the world, as well as the Mother of the Redeemer s intimate cooperation in this saving act. Mary is indeed prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of victory over the serpent which was given to our first parents after their fall into sin. 24 Pope Pius IX explained Mary s intimate and indissoluble union with Jesus Christ in his redemptive triumph over Satan which was prophesied in Genesis 3:15 in the apostolic letter which infallibly defined the Immaculate Conception: By this divine prophecy [Gen 3:15], the merciful Redeemer of mankind, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was clearly foretold; that His most blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, was prophetically indicated; and, at the same time, the very enmity of both against the Evil One was significantly expressed. Hence, just as Christ, the Mediator between God and man, assumed human nature, blotted out the handwriting of the decree that stood against us, fastened it triumphantly to the cross, so the most holy Virgin, united with Him by a most intimate and indissoluble bond, was, with Him and through Him, eternally at enmity with the evil Serpent, and most completely triumphed over him... 25 Mary was eternally in complete and absolute opposition to Satan, for with and through her Son the Redeemer, the Woman was to intimately share in the complete redemptive triumph over Satan. The early Church Fathers gave immediate confirmation to this scriptural prophecy of Mary s true sharing in the work of redemption by modeling the Mother of Jesus as the New Eve. 26 In the mind of the early Fathers, Mary was the New Eve who intimately participated with the New Adam, Jesus Christ, in restoring the supernatural life of grace lost by Adam and Eve. Pius XII refers to this Patristic designation of Mary as New Eve and her intimate sharing in the redemptive victory of her Son (based on the Genesis passage) in his apostolic constitution infallibly defining the Assumption of Mary: Since the second century, the Virgin Mary has been designated by the holy Fathers as the New Eve, who, although subject to the New Adam, is most intimately associated with Him in that struggle against the eternal foe, which, as foretold in the protoevangelium, finally resulted in that most complete victory over sin and death... 27 24 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 55. 25 Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854. 26 Cf. St. Justin Martyr, Dialogus cum Tryphone, ch. 100; Migne, Patrologia Graeca (subsequent references, PG ), 6, 109-112; St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, III, c. 32, 1, PG, 7, 958-959; V, c. 19, 1, PG 7, 1175-1176. 27 Pope Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, 1 November 1950.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE The intimate and unique coredemptive role of Mary, the Woman of the seed (cf. Gen 3:15) with the Redeemer, the seed of victory over the serpent, is already prophetically revealed in the first inspired text of Sacred Scripture. Isaiah 7:14 Mother of the Suffering Servant Another great Old Testament prophecy that foretells the coming of the saving messiah is the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. The Lord reveals to Ahaz a sign of salvation for the people of Israel: Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (Is 7:14). Through this virgin-mother (the later Virgin Mother of Nazareth 28 ) the Emmanuel, the God with us, will enter the world to effect its salvation. 29 But what would be the price this messiah would have to pay to ransom the world (cf. Mt 10:45)? The same prophetic book of Isaiah describes the redeeming price that would be paid by the messiah, the suffering servant of God: He was despised and dejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces...he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Is 53:3-5). The Virgin Mother prophesied by Isaiah would indeed bring us the redeeming Messiah, the God-with-us. But since her Child was destined to buy back the world at a price (1 Cor 6:20), the Mother of the Suffering Servant was also, by nature of her maternal relation, destined to suffer. The future Mother of the Redeemer was predestined to suffer with her redeeming Son. Lk 1:38 New Testament Beginning of Coredemptrix The Redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and human history. 30 It was the will of the Father that in the fullness of time (cf. Gal 4:4), the Son came into the world as the Redeemer of humanity, to perform the work of the redemption on the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25). But the eternal plan of the Heavenly Father to send his Son for the salvation of the world also included the predestined role of a woman. The Second Vatican Council tells us: The Father of mercies willed that 3 28 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 55. 29 Cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 7. 30 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptor Hominis, n. l.

4 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in bringing about death, so also a woman should contribute to life. This is pre-eminently true of the Mother of Jesus, who gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and who was enriched by God with gifts appropriate for such a role. 31 When the Father elected Mary 32 from among all women (cf. Lk 1:41) to be the Mother of the Redeemer, it was by virtue of this choice by God and the consent of the Handmaid that Mary began her coredemptive role of cooperation with the Redeemer. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you (Lk 1:28). The angel greets the Virgin of Nazareth under a new title, full of grace, in the place of her earthly name, Miriam or Mary. 33 The Greek word for this new title, kecharitomene is the perfect participle of the verb, which tells us that this profound event of grace ascribed to Mary is an action that has been completed in the past, before the announcement of the Angel, 34 and, thus, describes the present state, full of grace. It was Mary s Immaculate Conception that properly prepared her and made her worthy for the intimate and unique cooperation she was to have with the Redeemer made man in the work of salvation. Pope John Paul II states: We must above all note that Mary was created immaculate in order to be better able to act on our behalf. The fullness of grace allowed her to fulfill perfectly her mission of collaboration with the work of salvation: it gave the maximum value to her cooperation in the sacrifice. 35 The sanctifying action Mary received at the first instant of her conception was enacted by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Divine Sanctifier, for Mary is the only one who has become the dwelling place of all the graces of the Holy Spirit. 36 Here too at the Annunciation, it will be by the power of the Holy Spirit that Mary will become the 31 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 56. 32 For Predestination of Mary, cf. St. John Damascene, Hom., in Nativitatem, 7; 10: Sources Chretiennes, Lyons, (later S. Ch.) 80, 65; 73; Hom., in Dormitionem I, 3: S. Ch. 80, 85. 33 Cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 8. 34 For an extended contemporary commentary on kecharitôménê, cf. Ignace de la Potterie, S.J., Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, translated into English from the original Flemish work, Het Mariamysterie in het Nieuwe Testament (1985) by Bertrand Buby, SM, New York, Alba House, 1992. 35 Pope John Paul II, Mary Immaculate the First Marvel of Redemption, Papal Address at General Audience, 7 December 1983, L Osservatore Romano, Issue n, 50, 1983, p. 1. 36 Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Mother of the Redeemer (cf. Lk 1:35). It is the Holy Spirit, the Divine Spouse of Mary, who prepares and sustains Mary at each stage of her coredemptive role. After Mary receives the word from the heavenly messenger that she in her virginity would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit to become the Mother of the Son of God (cf. Lk 1:34-35), this Daughter of Zion 37 gives her free response to the invitation sent by Yahweh, the Father: Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Lk 1:38). It is the providential union of the creative overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1:35) and the consenting cooperation of Mary (cf. Lk 1:38) by which the Word became flesh (Jn 1:14) in the redemptive Incarnation. With the freely given yes of Mary to the new plan of salvation offered by the Father, Mary willfully and physically enters into the heart of the new covenant established for the redemption of the human family. The Council confirms: After a long period of waiting the times are fulfilled in her, the exalted Daughter of Zion, and the new plan of salvation is established, when the Son of God has taken human nature from her, that he might in the mysteries of his flesh free man from sin. 38 At the Annunciation, Mary begins her role as the Coredemptrix with the Redeemer. Her fiat mihi to the angel is a free let it be done to me to an intimate sharing in God s new plan of salvation revealed by the angel (cf. Lk 1:31-33). It is a free let it be done to me to the giving of a human body to the Redeemer, who would fulfill the saving messianic role referred to in Mary s own magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), which rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1:47). It is a free let it be done to me in cooperating with the Redeemer so intimately that Mary Coredemptrix gave to the Saviour the very instrument of Redemption his human body for we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb 10:10). Early Church Fathers: Mary, the New Eve Possibly the most ancient doctrinal image of Mary in the Early Church is that of the New Eve. The early Fathers saw Mary (cf. Gen 3:15; Lk 1:28) as having a free and uniquely integral role with Jesus Christ, the New Adam (cf. Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21), in the redemption of the human family, through the restoration of the supernatural life of grace. 39 As the virgin Eve, through her disobedience to the Father, 37 Cf. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 55. 38 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 55. 39 Cf. St. Justin Martyr, Dialogus cum Tryphone, C. 100; PG 6, 709-712; St. 5

6 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE interiorly cooperated with Adam in the sin that lost the saving life of grace for the human family (cf. Gen 3:6), the Virgin Mary, in her obedience to the Father (cf. Lk 1:38), interiorly cooperated with Jesus Christ, the New Adam, in the salvation of the human family through his redemption. St. Irenaeus exemplifies the early Patristic understanding of Eve s secondary though instrumental sharing in the death of the supernatural life for the world and Mary s parallel (though antithetical), intimate sharing in the salvation of the human race:...the Virgin Mary was found obedient, saying Behold Thy handmaid, O Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word. Eve, however, was disobedient; for, while yet a virgin, she did not obey. Just as she became disobedient and became the cause of death to herself and the whole human race, so Mary... being obedient became for herself and the whole human race the cause of salvation. 40 Mary s unequaled participation in the redemption of the human race as the New Eve was the universal Christian teaching in the Early Church. 41 The Second Vatican Council notes the unquestionable acknowledgment by the Fathers of the Church of Mary s unique and free cooperation with the Redeemer in the work of man s salvation: Rightly, therefore, the Fathers see Mary not merely as passively engaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of man s salvation through faith and obedience... Not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert with him [St. Irenaeus] in their preaching: the knot of Eve s disobedience was untied by Mary s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound by her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith. Comparing Mary with Eve, they call her Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses III, c.22, n. 4: PG 7, 959; V, c. 19, n. 1, PG 7, 1175; St. Epiphanius, Haer. 78, 18; PG 42, 728; St. Jerome, Epist. 22, 21: Migne, Patrologia Latina (later as PL ) 22, 408; cf. St. Augustine, Serm. 57, 2, 3: PG 38, 335; St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. 12, 15: PG 33, 741; St. John Chrysostom, In Ps. 44, 7: PG 55, 193; Later Fathers (amidst many others from both East and West) include St. John Damascene, Hom. 2 in dorm. B.V.M., 3: PG 96, 728. For more comprehensive Patristic references, see J. Bittremieux, De Meditatione universali B. M. Virginis quoad gratias, Brugis, 1926, p. 107; J. B. Carol, O.F.M., De Corredemptione Beatae Virginis Mariae, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1950, p. 125; G. Roschini, O.S.M., Maria Santissima Nella Storia Della Salvezza, 1969, v. II, p. 171. 40 St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, I, 3, c. 22, n. 4; PG 7, 958-959. 41 Cf. Footnote 15 for general Patristic references as well as theological references for a more comprehensive documentation. The great nineteenth century Patristic scholar, John Henry Newman, is quoted to have said regarding the unquestionable New Eve model that by the time of St. Jerome (331-420), the contrast between Eve and Mary had almost passed into a proverb (cf. J. Bittremieux, De Meditatione universali B. M. Virginis quoad gratias, p. 107).

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Mother of the Living, and frequently claim: death through Eve, life through Mary. 42 We can summarize the profound wisdom of the Fathers by saying that just as Eve had an active sharing with Adam in the loss of salvation for the human family (although a role secondary and subordinate to that of Adam), so Mary had an active sharing with Jesus Christ in the redemption of the human family (although a role completely secondary and subordinate to that of Jesus Christ). 43 For the Fathers, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ into the world was the beginning of one unified divine act of redemption that saw its merciful climax in the passion and death of the Redeemer on the Cross. 44 The Incarnation is the Redemption begun and anticipated, 45 and Mary s moral and physical cooperation in the Redemptive Incarnation alone merits her Patristic titles of being, in her rightful subordinate manner, the cause of our salvation, 46 the price of the redemption of captives, 47 and she who brought forth redemption for the human race. 48 Following then this Patristic parallel between Eve and Mary, Eve could rightly be seen as the Co-peccatrix ( with the Sinner ). For it was Eve who freely gave the instrument of the Fall, the forbidden fruit, (cf. Gen 3:6) to Adam, the Peccator ( the Sinner ) whose sin as father of the human race led to loss of grace for the human race. 49 It is through the instrumentality of the Co-peccatrix that the Peccator effected the death of the human race. 50 Mary then can rightly be seen as the Coredemptrix (with the 42 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 56. 43 For a more developed treatment of this theological conclusion, cf. G. Roschini, O.S.M., Mariologia, v. 3, Rome, 1947, p. 300. 44 Cf. J. Lebon, Comment je conçois, j établis et je defends la doctrine de la Mediation mariale, Ephemerides Theologicae Louvanienses, vol. 16, 1939, p. 600; as cited in L. Riley, Historical Conspectus of the Doctrine of Mary s CoRedemption, Marian Studies, 1951, p. 41; Bover, Deiparae Virginis consensus corredemptionis ac meditationis fundamentum, as cited in Charles Balic, O.F.M., The Council Speaks of Mary, The Marian Era, v. 6, 1965., p. 85. 45 Incarnatio redemptiva redemptio inchoativa ( the redemptive Incarnation is the Redemption begun ), cf. Ch. II, Footnote 151. 46 St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, I, c. 22, n. 4; PG 7, 958-959. 47 St. Ephraem, Assemani, ed., Opera Omnia, vol. 3, Rome, 1832, p. 528. 48 St. Ambrose, De Mysteriis, c. 3, n. 13; PL 16, 410. 49 Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologia, I-II, Q. 81, a. 5. Adam s sin as Father of the human race is the formal cause for the loss of grace for the human race. Had Adam not sinned, we would not suffer the effects of Original Sin. 50 Cf. Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler, Maria: Mitterloserin, Salzburg, 12.9.90, Informationsblatt der Priesterbruderschaft St. Petrus, n. 12, Wigratzbad, Jahrgang, 1991. 7

8 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Redeemer). For it is Mary who freely gave the instrument of the Redemption, the human body, to Jesus Christ. The Father no longer desired the sacrifices of the Old Law but prepared for his Saviour Son a body as the New Law instrument of Redemption: When Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body has thou prepared for me (Heb 10:5). We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:10). This body, the God-designated instrument of Redemption, was freely given to the Redeemer at the Incarnation by Mary, the Coredemptrix. Truly can it be said that Eve was the Co-peccatrix with the Peccator; Mary, the Coredemptrix with the Redeemer. Summary The Father elected Mary from among all women to be the Coredemptrix with the Redeemer. Mary s physical and moral gift of humanity to the Redeemer constitutes an inner participation in the work of Redemption that no other creature in heaven or on earth could ever reach. By giving flesh to the Word made flesh for our salvation, this act alone rightfully and exclusively merits for the Handmaid of the Lord the title and honor of Coredemptrix. But Mary s cooperation at the Annunciation is only the beginning of her faithful role as Coredemptrix. This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ s virginal conception up to his death... 51 The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in union with her Son unto the cross. 52 The Son came into the world as the Redeemer of all nations, and the work of Redemption was climaxed at the Cross. Calvary, therefore, was also the event to which the coredeeming Mother was destined to go with her Redeeming Son. Lk 2:35 Presentation Prophecy of Coredemptrix The New Testament prophecy of the climax of Mary s role as Coredemptrix comes from the inspired words of Simeon at the presentation of the infant Lord to the Temple (cf. Lk 2:25-37). It is again by the power and sustenance of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:26-27) that Mary receives the prophetic message of Simeon foretelling the climactic sharing by the Mother of Jesus in the price of Redemption. 51 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 57. 52 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 58.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Inspired by the Spirit (Lk 2:27), Simeon came into the temple and took the infant Redeemer in his arms, proclaiming, Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all the peoples (Lk 2:29-31). Simeon s inspired words about the future Redeemer correspond to the meaning of the name given to him by the angel, Jesus, which means God is salvation. 53 The redemptive mission of the child Jesus was also made known to the temple prophetess Anna, who gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Lk 2:38). The elderly prophet then addressed the Mother of the Redeemer. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that will be contradicted (Lk 2:34). And with particular attention to Mary, Simeon prophetically states: and a sword will pierce through your own heart, too (Lk 2:35). This sorrowful annunciation to the Mother of the Saviour confirms that her intimate sharing in the redemptive work of her Son will be at the price of profound suffering, and will lead her in the obedience of faith to the side of the suffering Redeemer. John Paul II tells us: Simeon s words seem like a second Annunciation to Mary, for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement, on the one hand, confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand, it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Saviour, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful. 54 Just as Mary anticipated her Son s stainless entry into the human family by her Immaculate Conception, so too did the Mother go before her Son in the order of suffering that would lead to the climax of Redemption on the Cross. The coredeeming Mother of the Saviour was eternally predestined 55 to sacrifice and suffering in her election by the Heavenly Father. And from the time of her joyful and sorrowful announcements (cf. Lk 1:28, Lk 2:35), Mary anticipated her Son s redemptive suffering at Calvary in her motherly heart. Where Mary is, 53 Cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 16. 54 John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 16. Note: Certainly Mary s knowledge of the Suffering Servant of Is. 53, coupled with the words of the angel and Simeon regarding her messiah-son and his mission, made the Mother of Jesus keenly aware of her joint call with her Son in a salvific effort that would be immersed in profound suffering. 55 Cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, n. 3. 9

10 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Jesus will soon appear, 56 and for the Child destined to suffer, the Mother must also precede. The Mother always went before the Son in the order of suffering. Jn 19:26 Climax of the Coredemptrix The Work of Redemption Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, is the Redeemer of all peoples and nations through his passion, death, and resurrection on the cross. Through the sacrifice at Calvary, the Son of Man reconciled humanity with the Father and ransomed us from the true burden of sin. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins (Eph 1:7). It is in the sacrifice of Calvary that Christ has bought us back from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). The Son of Man came...to give his life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28); and it is upon the cross that a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant (Heb 9:15). The Old Testament understanding of a redeemer (Hebrew, go el ) often included the idea of a family member, kinsman, or close relative who was responsible for ransoming back from bondage another family member(cf. Lev 25:48; Jer 32:7). 57 Redemption also included the idea of a covenant relationship, where God would act as a redeemer in ransoming back Israel his people from Egypt because of his covenant with them: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm (Ex 6:6). The Old Testament foreshadows a redeemer of men who would be a family redeemer, being the Son of Yahweh, and also a redeemer bringing forth a new covenant of my blood (Lk 22:19) through a death that has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant (Heb 9:15). But here too we see the wisdom of God in having Mary, Mother of the Saviour and Daughter of Zion, intimately involved in the family and covenant act of Redemption. 56 John Paul II, Papal address at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Alborada, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 31 January 1985, L Osservatore Romano, 11 March 1985, p. 6. 57 For extended commentary on redeemer (g l, go el) in the Old Testament, Cf. Ringgren, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, v. 2, Eerdman, Grand Rapids, p. 351; cf. Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged Volume, Michigan, 1985, p. 328.

MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE As Mother of the Saviour and spiritual Mother of the Living, 58 Mary rightly has, by maternal relation, an intimate sharing in the familial ransoming back of her human family with her Son, the Redeemer. As Daughter of Zion, Mary is the faithful and obedient Daughter of Israel who profoundly participates in the new and everlasting covenant between the Father and the new People of God. In both the familial and covenantal aspects of Redemption foreshadowed in the Old Testament, Mary as Mother of the Saviour and spiritual Mother of the Living, as well as the faithful Daughter of Zion, rightly participates in the heart of the New Covenant act of Redemption. The Coredemptrix in the Work of Redemption Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother s sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son! Then he said to the disciple, Son, Behold, your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. After this, knowing that all was now finished...he said, It is finished ; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (Jn 19:26-28, 30). The term, Woman unites the Mother of the Saviour at the foot of the cross with the Woman of the seed of redemption in Genesis (cf. Gen: 3:15), who will work with the Redeemer in the triumph over Satan and his seed of sin and death. Mary, who previously was the Handmaid of the Lord at the Annunciation, becomes through the bitter suffering of Calvary the Woman with the Man of Redemption, the Mother with the Son of Salvation, the Lady (Domino) with the Lord (Dominus) of all peoples. Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine command, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim which was born of her. 59 These sublime words of the Council Fathers summarize the rich fruits of the Church s prayerful pondering over nearly two millennia on the scriptural passage of Jn 19:26 and its inspired revelation of Mary s intimate coredemptive role with the Redeemer. 11 58 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 56. 59 Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, n. 58.

12 MARY: COREDEMPTRIX, MEDIATRIX, ADVOCATE Papal Teaching on the Coredemptrix at Calvary The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in its oral form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. 60 And with the profound Johannine passage, Jn 19:26, of the written word of God, the teaching office (Magisterium) of the Church has provided a rich and inspired interpretation which manifests the Marian mystery of Coredemptrix. This deeper and fuller understanding of the inspired text of John 19:26 regarding Mary s role as Coredemptrix as taught by the Church is the rich fruit of a greater penetration into the Patristic understanding of Mary as the New Eve; as well by the contributions of Church Fathers, Doctors, Mystics, and Saints, including St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 61 St. Bonaventure, 62 St. Albert the Great, 63 and John Tauler. 64 These and 60 Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution, Dei Verbum, n. 10. 61 Cf. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153), Hom. II super Missus est; PL 183, 62; Sermo III de Purificatione Beatae Mariae; PL 183, 370; Sermo II in Festo Pentecostes; PL 183, 328. Note: Although St. Bernard s commentary was not specifically directed to the Jn 19:26 passage, his contribution regarding Mary s offering of the Victim to the Father rightly includes St. Bernard in the development of the understanding of Mary s coredemptive role at the cross. 62 Cf. St. Bonaventure (d. 1274), Collatio 6 de donis Spiritus Sancti, n. 5, n. 15, n. 16, n. 17; Opera Omnia, (Ad Claras Aquas), v. 5, p. 486; Sermo 3 de Assumptione, Opera Omnia, v. 9, p. 695; III Sent., dist. 4, a. 3, qu. 3, concl.; Opera Omnia, v. 3, p. 115. For example: Just as they [Adam and Eve] were the destroyers of the human race, so these [Jesus and Mary] were its repairers... (Sermo 3): She [Mary] also merited reconciliation for the entire human race... (III Sent); She paid the price [of Redemption] as a woman brave and loving namely, when Christ suffered on the cross to pay that price in order to purge and wash and redeem us, the Blessed Virgin was present, accepting and agreeing with the divine will (n. 16). 63 Cf. St. Albert the Great (d. 1280), Comment, in Matth., I, 18; Opera Omnia, ed., Borgnet, Vol. 20, Paris, 1898, p. 36; St. Albert or Pseudo-Albert, Mariale, Q. 42, Opera Omnia, v. 37, p. 81; Q. 150, p. 219; Q. 51, p. 97. For example: To her [Mary] alone was given this privilege, namely, a communication in the Passion; to her the Son willed to communicate the merit of the Passion, in order that He could give her the reward; and in order to make her a sharer in the benefit of Redemption, He willed that she be a sharer in the penalty of the Passion, in so far as she might become the Mother of all through re-creation even as she was the adjutrix of the Redemption by her co-passion. And just as the whole world is bound to God by His supreme Passion, so also it is bound to the Lady of all by her co- passion (Q. 150). 64 Cf. John Tauler (d. 1361), Sermo pro festo Purificationis Beatae Mariae