Mary, mediator of all graces

[Ortho_Cat]

Is this a popular teaching among the RC faithful? If so, can you elaborate on it and maybe give me some source material from 1st millenium patristics? thanks

 

[_Shannon_]

Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces, is a belief and title granted by the Church. It is *not* dogmatically defined.

Here is a decent article to get you started. (Admittedly not first mil. patrisitcs)
Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces


For the record, I am pretty skeptical about EWTN as a source--but this is a solid article.

 

[_Shannon_]

Really it boils down to this...Jesus comes through Mary, hence grace flows through Mary.

This ( as well as the whole MAry as Co-Redemptrix) was a huge part of the spirituality of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

 

[isshinwhat]

Early Fathers of the Church

Apparently, the first use of the title Mediatrix as applying to Our Lady was used by St. Ephraem (373): "I call upon you, Mediatrix of the world; I invoke your prompt protection in my necessities." In his fourth sermon on Our Lady, he calls her “dispensatrix of all gifts... Mediatrix of the whole world.” [4]

A Father of the Council of Ephesus, Antipater of Bostra, wrote, "Hail, you who acceptably intercede as a Mediatrix for mankind." (In S. Joannem Bapt., PG, 1772C) [5]St. Andrew of Crete (660-740) referred to Mary as the "Mediatrix of the law and grace” and that “she is the mediation between the sublimity of God and the abjection of the flesh.”

Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange cites numerous other references from the early centuries of the Church:

"From the 8th century we may quote the Venerable Bede (homil. I in fest. Annunc. and hom. I in fest. Visit.; P.L., t. XCIV, col. 91, 16). St. Andrew of Crete calls Mary Mediatrix of grace, dispenser and cause of life (In Nativit. B. M. , hom. Iv, and in Dormit. S.M., III; P.G.. t. XCVII, cols. 813 and 1108). St. Germanus of Constantinople says that no one has been saved without the cooperation of the Mother of God (In dormit. B.M., P.G., t. XCVIII, c. 349). The title of mediatrix is given by St. John Damascene also, who asserts that we owe to her all the benefits conferred on us by Jesus (In dormit. B.M., hom. 1, 3, 8, 12; 11, 16; P.G., t. XCVI, cols. 705, 713, 717, 744). In the 9th century we find St. Peter Damien teaching that nothing is accomplished in the work of our redemption without her (Serm. 15; P.L. . t. CXLIV, cols. 741, 743).[bless and do not curse] The teaching of St. Anselm (Orat. 47, 52; PL, t. CLVIII, cols. 741, 743), Eadmer, and St. Bernard in the 12th century is the same.” [6]

OTHER SAINTS ON MARY, MEDIATRIX
St. Cyril of Alexandria: "Hail Mary Theotokos, venerable treasure of the whole world, light unextinguished, crown of virginity, sceptre of orthodoxy, indestructible temple, which contains the uncontainable... it is through you that the Holy Trinity is glorified and adored, through you, the precious cross is venerated and adored throughout the whole world, through you that heaven is in gladness, that angels and archangels rejoice that demons are put to flight, through you that the tempter, the devil is cast from heaven, through you that the fallen creature is raised up to heaven, through you that all creation, once imprisoned in idolatry, has reached knowledge of the truth, that the faithful obtain baptism and the oil of joy, churches have been founded in the whole world, that peoples are led to conversion." [7]

St. Germanus: Our Lady is “truly a good Mediatrix of all sinners.” (Hom. in Dorm. II, PG 98, 321, 352‑3)

St. Tarasius of Constantinople: Our Lady is “the Mediatrix of all who are under Heaven.” (In SS. Deiparae Praesentionem. PG 98, 1499).” [8]

St. Bernard of Clairvaux:
St. Bernard speaks of Mary as “gratiae inventrix, mediatrix, salutis restauratrix saeculorum.” [9]
"God Has willed that we should have nothing which would not pass through the hands of Mary." (Hom. III in vig. nativit., n. 10, PL 183, 100)
"God has placed in Mary the plenitude of every good, in order to have us understand that if there is any trace of hope in us, any trace of grace, any trace of salvation, it flows from her." [10]

"God could have dispensed His graces according to His good pleasure, without making use of this aqueduct (Mary); but it was His wish to provide this means whereby grace would reach you." [11]

St. Albert the Great:
“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, insofar as she might become the Mother of all through re-creation even as she was the adjudtrix 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.” (Mariale, Opera Omnia, v. 37, Q. 150, p. 219)
"… every single grace passes through the hands of Mary.” [12]
“The Blessed Virgin is very properly called ‘gate of heaven,’ for every created or uncreated grace that ever came or will ever come into this world came through her.” (Mariale 147)

St. Thomas Aquinas writes, "Mary is the whole hope of our salvation,” [13] and "Through the intercession of Mary any souls are in Paradise who would not be there had she not interceded for them, for God has entrusted her with the keys and treasures of the heavenly kingdom.” [14]

St. Gregory Palamas:
“No divine gift can reach either angels or men, save through her mediation. As one cannot enjoy the light of a lamp … save through the medium of this lamp, so every movement towards God, every impulse towards good coming from Him is unrealizable save through the mediation of the Virgin. She does not cease to spread benefits on all creatures….” [15]

Theophanes of Nicaea: “[Mary] is the dispenser and distributor of all the wondrous uncreated gifts of the divine Spirit, which make us Christ’s brothers and co-heirs, not only because she is granting the gifts of her natural Son to His brothers in grace, but also because she is bestowing them on these as her own true sons, though not by ties of nature but of grace.” [16]

St. Louis De Montfort:

"To Mary, His faithful spouse, God the Holy Ghost has communicated His unspeakable gifts; and He has chosen her to be the dispensatrix of all He possesses, in such sort that she distributes to whom she wills, as much as she wills, as she wills and when she wills, all His gifts and graces. The Holy Ghost gives no heavenly gift to men which does not pass through her virginal hands." [17]

“… Mary whom He has appointed to be … treasurer of His riches, Distributor of His graces, Worker of His great miracles, Restorer of the human race, Mediatrix of men, Destroyer of God’s enemies, and faithful Companion of His great works and triumphs.” (W.G. 28)

St. Alphonsus Liguori: "God, who gave us Jesus Christ, wills that all graces that have been, that are, and will be dispensed to men to the end of the world through the merits of Jesus Christ, should be dispensed by the hands and through the intercession of Mary." (The Glories of Mary, Ch. 5).[bless and do not curse] Against the contention that this doctrine is "a pious exaggeration," St. Alphonsus replied, "I consider it as indubitably true that all graces are dispensed by Mary.” [18]

St. John Vianney: "All the saints have a great devotion to Our Lady: no grace comes from Heaven without passing through her hands. We cannot go into a house without speaking to the doorkeeper. Well, the Holy Virgin is the doorkeeper of Heaven.”

St. Peter Julian Eymard: "Mankind was unworthy to receive the Word directly from God, so Mary was our Mediatrix in the Incarnation, and she continues to exercise that function. No one comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and embraces His holy law except through her; no one obtains the saving gift of faith except by her prayers. Her mission, to which she is ever faithful, is to give us Jesus. He must be received from her hands, and in vain do we seek Him elsewhere." [19]

Mary, Mediatrix of all graces

 

[_Shannon_]

Woot woot, thanks issinwhat!

 

[isshinwhat]

Wow, that didn't format well, did it? Just visit the link and scroll down to the section on Early Fathers of the Church. The board, the page, and my iPhone aren't gettin along right now.

 

[isshinwhat]

Woot woot, thanks issinwhat!

Welcome, Shannon... My Google-fu served me well, it seems...

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

There is only one Mediator between us and the Father, that is Jesus Christ.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

Mary, Mediatrix of all graces

I could barely read most of the copy paste here, but the part that says we were deemed unworthy to hear the word and thus Mary was appointed a mediator goes against scripture. It is untrue.

 

[isshinwhat]

I could barely read most of the copy paste here, but the part that says we were deemed unworthy to hear the word and thus Mary was appointed a mediator goes against scripture. It is untrue.

Multiple Saints, Doctors of the Church, Popes, etc., have taught it as a belief. I pray the Church clarifies the teaching through promulgating the Dogma. There is only one Mediator, and we each participate in His Mediation to different degrees.

 

[Foundthelight]

There is only one Mediator between us and the Father, that is Jesus Christ.

Mary intercedes for us with her son, Jesus. In the same fashion as at the Wedding at Cana. Do you have a problem with that?

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

Mary intercedes for us with her son, Jesus. In the same fashion as at the Wedding at Cana. Do you have a problem with that?

And the word of God says

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Do you have a problem with the word of God ?

 

[isshinwhat]

Paul says that he "saves" people... How does that work if not through our participation in the Redemption of Jesus Christ?

What do you say to all the Popes, Saints, Doctors, etc., who have promoted it with full knowledge of that Scripture you provided?

 

[JesusIsTheWay33]

We should clarify that the teaching of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces, which the church has neither condemned nor affirmed, is different from the affirmation of the Church that Mary is Mediatrix of Grace.

For myself, I reject the idea of Mary as either Mediatrix of All Graces or Co-Redemptrix, and regard the latter as heresy. I note the present Pope dislikes the idea, too.

Whether or not it has been taught by Popes and saints, Mary as Mediatrix of All Grace is not the teaching of the Church, and no-one is bound to affirm it. Quite the opposite, I would say.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

Paul says that he "saves" people... How does that work if not through our participation in the Redemption of Jesus Christ?

What do you say to all the Popes, Saints, Doctors, etc., who have promoted it with full knowledge of that Scripture you provided?

I say they are either misquoted or wrong. See if your going to throw the word of God out, then we have nothing and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.

If we have an Apostle to Christ Jesus making a clear and unambiguous statement

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

and if we attempt to disregard that statement by quoting other scripture out of context i.e. the person that quoted the Miracle at Cana as to somehow elevate Mary to the role that Christ holds i.e. Mediator, then we border on preaching another Gospel.

 

[isshinwhat]

I believe Blessed John Paul II said it perfectly here:

1. Down the centuries the Church has reflected on Mary's co-operation in the work of salvation, deepening the analysis of her association with Christ's redemptive sacrifice. St Augustine already gave the Blessed Virgin the title "co-operator" in the Redemption (cf. De Sancta Virginitate, 6; PL 40, 399), a title which emphasizes Mary's joint but subordinate action with Christ the Redeemer.

Reflection has developed along these lines, particularly since the 15th century. Some feared there might be a desire to put Mary on the same level as Christ. Actually the Church's teaching makes a clear distinction between the Mother and the Son in the work of salvation, explaining the Blessed Virgin's subordination, as co-operator, to the one Redeemer.

MARY

Goodnight all.

 

[Ortho_Cat]

Is the concept of mediatrix the same as "mediator of all graces" or is there a difference?

 

[Angeldove97]

Is the concept of mediatrix the same as "mediator of all graces" or is there a difference?

This article may help: Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces

 

[Colin]

" By her maternal charity , Mary cares for the brethren of her Son ......Therefore she is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate , Auxiliatrix , Adjutrix , and Mediatrix. These , however , are to be so understood that they neither take away from nor add anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.....The Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary . She experiences it continuously and commends it to the hearts of the faithful , so that encouraged by this maternal help they may more closely adhere to the Mediator and Redeemer . " ( The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church , Lumen Gentium , of the Second Vatican Council ) .

 

[JesusIsTheWay33]

Neither of these source actually shows that it is the teaching of the Church that Mary is Mediatrix of All Grace. They only show she is Mediatrix [of Grace]. When we say that Mary is Mediatrix, we mean she intercedes for us with God, like the saints, but is a more effective, and in fact, the most effective intercessor we have. Just as we give her a veneration higher than that given to saints, so is she a more effective intercessor.

I think, anyway.