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Jason wrote: |
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Dear Mike:
I have been studying the belief of the co-redemption
of Mary and I read a web site that stated:
| In a nutshell, the Incarnation could not
have taken place if Mary had not accepted
the divine invitation to be the Mother
of the Redeemer. The entire plan of salvation
depended on Mary's acceptance and her freely
given assent and [she] was therefore the key
that opened the door to redemption for
the human race. |
If this is, in fact, the case, and explains
why Mary is considered to be co-redeemer then
I must strongly disagree with this conclusion.
The Incarnation was not dependent upon Mary's
free will because that would have nullified the omniscience of God who knows the Ends from the beginnings.
From our perspective, I can understand the
lack of certainty of the future, but from
God's perspective, He sees and has already
seen everything in the future so Mary's free
will decision to accept her role in giving birth to the
Word of God was part of the overall Pre-ordained
Plan of Salvation which God had set forth
in the Prophets.
If the above statement were
true, taken to its next logical step, the
logical conclusion would have to be that if
Mary had rejected the divine invitation to
bear the Redeemer of Humanity, then God would
have had to have given up and called it a
night. He would have lost.
This is impossible and I'm sure you would
have to agree.
Please let me know what you think.
Jason
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| { If
the Incarnation was dependent upon Mary's free
will, wouldn't it have nullified the omniscience of
God? } |
Mike
replied:
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Hi, Jason —
Thanks for your question.
I would have to disagree with some
of your conclusions.
You said:
The Incarnation was not dependent upon Mary's
free will because that would have nullified the omniscience of God who knows the Ends from the beginnings.
The Incarnation was dependent upon
Mary's free will because like you
and me, she was a human with free
will. We have to separate two issues
here:
- God's omniscience,
and all-knowing, and
- our knowledge as human beings
Although Catholics believe Mary was
sinless, her sinless-ness did not
take away from her humanity (e.g.
having a free will, like you and me.)
Questions you may have:
- Could
Mary have said "No" to Gabriel?
- Yes!
- Would
that have meant God would have
had to have given up and called it
a night?
- No.
Mankind can know [or understand]
much [or many] of God's ways, but
not all of them. We partake in divine
nature, but we are not divine, nor
do we have divine minds.
If Mary had said No., mankind cannot
think of what would have been in
the divine plan for our salvation, but because
God is all good, He would
have had some divine plan for us.
God does not create new life, us,
just to damn it. That would be contrary
to God's nature.
Thankfully, Mary said Yes!!, something I hope we can agree on. : )
Thanks again,
Mike
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Jason
replied:
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Hi, Mike —
Thank you for the prompt reply
but I would also disagree with some
of your conclusions, respectably,
of course.
I do agree that Mary was a human
being with free will but it was all
in God's plan that Mary agree to
bear the Son of God.
From our finite
perspectives, everything appears
uncertain but all of our free will
choices were known by God from eternity
so I would say that there wasn't
any chance of Mary rejecting the
offer to bear God's Son. God knew
everything that had already happened
and was to happen, before it was
even thought to happen by us.
The same is true with Adam and Eve.
I would disagree that God's original
plan for mankind was for Adam and
Eve to obediently live with him forever.
This, of course, was disrupted
by Adam and Eve's sin.
I believe God's plan for mankind
was, and is, that all of mankind
be saved by the sinless sacrifice
of Jesus Christ and to live with
Him eternally in paradise.
God Bless,
Jason
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Mike
replied:
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Hi, Jason —
You said:
Thank you for the prompt reply
but I would also disagree with some
of your conclusions, respectably,
of course.
I do agree that Mary was a human
being with free will but it was all
in God's plan that Mary agree to
bear the Son of God.
From our finite
perspectives, everything appears
uncertain but all of our free will
choices were known by God from eternity
so I would say that there wasn't
any chance of Mary rejecting the
offer to bear God's Son. God knew
everything that had already happened
and was to happen, before it was
even thought to happen by us.
I agree, God knows the past and the
future choices we make, but that
doesn't negate Mary's free will to
say, Yes or No in becoming the Mother
of our Messiah, Jesus Christ.
In the SAME way,
God could not negate Adam and Eve's
free will to submit to the devil's temptation in the Garden of Eden.
He knew it was going to happen, but
it doesn't negate Mary's, Adam's
or Eve's free will to choose something
God doesn't want.
You said:
I would disagree that God's original
plan for mankind was for Adam and
Eve to obediently live with him forever.
This was God's original plan but
Adam and Eve's free will brought
about the need for a New Adam, Our
Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
and a New Eve, His and Our Blessed
Mother Mary. (Luke 1:38)
Like I said in my first reply:
because God is all good, He would have had some divine plan for us.
After Adam and Eve's fall, that plan
was to send His Divine Son to us,
for the sake of our salvation.
Thanks for your e-mail,
Mike
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