The Dreaded Cult of Mary

The saints’ lofty language for the Blessed Mother is not something we should apologize for​

Even for some who fully accept the Church’s teachings on the Virgin Mary, the language used can feel over the top. When speaking to Protestants and sometimes even other Catholics, they soften the language, as if this exaltation of Mary were somehow blasphemous or at least unnecessary. They distance themselves from titles like Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of all Graces and the language of Mary’s intercession as “omnipotent by grace” and holy slavery to Mary, used by saints such as St. Louis de Montfort or St. Alphonsus Liguori.

But are we really in danger of exalting Mary or loving her too much? St. Maximilian Kolbe says absolutely not: “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

This is a common theme when it comes to explaining Marian doctrines that sound almost jarring. “How could Mary be called Coredemptrix?! Jesus is the only Redeemer!” St. Teresa of Calcutta responded in loving simplicity: we know that Mary is the Coredemptrix (and even Mediatrix of all Graces) because she participated in the redemption. Without Mary, there is no Jesus. If we so easily accept that all grace comes to us through Jesus, and Jesus came to us through Mary, then it is simple to say that all grace comes to us through Mary!

The Difficulty of Human Language in Expressing God’s Mysteries​

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