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carenanightchild
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| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Independent Baptist |
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Posted: Fri Sep 14th, 2007 08:07 pm |
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I think I have the general idea of praying to saints down, but I'm having trouble with the various roles of Mary. Specifically, several of the titles given to her specifically, such as Mediatrix, Coredemptrix, and Queen of Heaven, I am having difficulty understanding. Could anyone explain?
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CajunRick
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Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 02:27 pm |
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carenanightchild wrote: I think I have the general idea of praying to saints down, but I'm having trouble with the various roles of Mary. Specifically, several of the titles given to her specifically, such as Mediatrix, Coredemptrix, and Queen of Heaven, I am having difficulty understanding. Could anyone explain?
Each of Mary's titles explains something about the role of Christ. None have any relationship to special honors for Mary herself.
For example, Mary as Queen of Heaven honors her son as the true King of Heaven. Jewish tradition placed the mother of the King next to him as Queen, so if Mary is not the queen of heaven, then her son is not king.
If Mary is not the Mother of God (or, more technically, Theotokos or "God-bearer"), then Jesus was not fully human. This doctrine was adopted in answer to heresies that claimed Jesus was truly God but only appeared human, or was truly human but his body was "inhabited" by a divine presence. If Jesus is both truly, fully human, and truly, fully divine, then there is no getting around the fact that Mary is the mother of God, even though he preexisted her in his divine form.
So the titles of Mary explain and reinforce basic truths about Jesus, not about Mary. Except for her Son, Mary was just another consecrated temple virgin. It is her son who makes her special, and the titles she has been given by the Church demonstrate her unique place in both human and salvation history.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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carenanightchild
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Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 05:04 pm |
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That somewhat makes sense, but I think it's the first two titles that I mentioned that are causing me the most trouble - Mediatrix and Coredemptrix. Could you possibly explain these two specifically?
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CajunRick
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Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 10:00 pm |
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carenanightchild wrote: That somewhat makes sense, but I think it's the first two titles that I mentioned that are causing me the most trouble - Mediatrix and Coredemptrix. Could you possibly explain these two specifically?
Catholics United for the Faith have an excellent Faith Fact on these titles. The document contains the following quotes from Deacon Mark I. Miraville, S.T.D., professor of Mariology at Franciscan University:
The title, "Co-redemptrix," refers to Mary’s unique participation with and under her Divine Son Jesus Christ, in the historic Redemption of humanity. The prefix, "Co," comes from the Latin "cum," which means "with." The title of Coredemptrix applied to the Mother of Jesus never places Mary on a level of equality with Jesus Christ, 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 Savior Son, who alone could reconcile humanity with the Father in his glorious divinity and humanity.
It also quotes Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church:
Mary uniquely participated in the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary and in the acquisition of the graces of Redemption for humanity (theologically referred to as "objective redemption"). Mary offered her Son and her maternal rights in relation to her Son to the Heavenly Father in perfect obedience to God’s will and in atonement for the sins of the world. Mary’s offering of her own Son on Calvary, along with her own motherly compassion, rights and suffering, offered in union with her Son for the salvation of the human family, merited more graces than any other created person. As Pope Pius XII confirmed in his encyclical On the Mystical Body, Mary "offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father, together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and her motherly love, like a New Eve for all children of Adam."
As for the title mediatrix, the article again quotes Deacon Miraville:
Mary uniquely participated in the acquisition of the graces of Redemption by Jesus Christ (objective redemption) and, therefore, the Mother of Jesus, above all creatures, fittingly participates in the distribution of these graces of Redemption to the human family (theologically called "subjective redemption"). By distributing sanctifying grace, Mary is able to fulfill her role as Spiritual Mother, since she spiritually nourishes the faithful of Christ’s body in the order of grace. Mary’s God-given ability to distribute the graces of Redemption by her intercession is an essential element and full flowering of her role as Spiritual Mother. For true motherhood goes beyond the birthing of children to include their nourishing, growth, and proper formation.
So as in all honors paid to Mary, it is her willing participation in the birth, life, and sacrifice of her son, and her unique role as the woman selected by God to be the Theotokos, that is the reason behind the title. We honor Mary in all things not for herself, but for her Son. In doing so, we love she whom Jesus as the perfect Son would honor above all others.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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