Bringing you the
"Good News" of Jesus Christ
and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC
Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's
magisterium
410 be it known
to you all, and to all the people of Israel,
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, by him this man is standing before
you well. 11 This
is the stone which was rejected by you
builders, but which has become the head
of the corner. 12 And there
is salvation in no one else,
for there is no
other name under heaven given
among men by which we
must be saved."
A rather plain and easily unopinionated verse,
is it not?
William
{
Why does Catholic doctrine call Mary
Co-Redeemer or Co-Savior when Acts 4 says otherwise? }
Mike
replied:
Hi, William —
Good question.
Jesus is the effective means
of salvation. (Meaning Jesus packs
the punch.)
Mary is the instrumental means
of salvation.
She was 100% human and had the same
free will that you and I do. This
means without Mary's approval to
become the God-Bearer, Jesus could
never have been born by natural means,
as the Eternal Father had wished.
Could Jesus have become a man without
Mary's help?<Yes.>
Would it have been according to the
Father's Will?<No.>
We are not saying that Mary is the
mother of:
the Trinity
God the Father, or
the Holy Spirit.
Our Blessed Mother did not come before
God as a parent comes before (his or her)
son in
age.
We are, however, saying that Mary
is the God bearer of the Second Person
of the Trinity, i.e.,
Jesus Christ: True God and True
Man. Mothers don't give birth to
natures. No. Mothers give birth to
people, and Jesus was the Divine Person.
To say Jesus was a Human person would
be in error according to Catholic
teaching.
The prayers of His mother are
a pleasure to the Son, because
He desires to grant all that is
granted on her account, and thus
repay her for the favor she gave
Him in giving His Body.
Mary's cooperating with God is similar
to our cooperating with God, in bringing
all souls into His Church and encouraging them to
live a holier life.
When any member of a Christian denomination
helps or assists another person in
understanding the Gospel, they are
cooperating in the redemptive work
of Christ; in sharing
the Gospel with a stranger, they
are an instrumental means
of salvation.
Based on what my Protestant colleagues have argued:
If Mary is undermining the sole mediation of Jesus Christ, aren't Protestant Christians undermining the sole mediation of Jesus Christ when they help, assist, or bring the Word of God to others who are not familiar with the Gospel?
Thus, we teach Jesus Christ was a Divine
Person with two natures,
divine and human, that don't conflict with each
other. Trying to understand this
is a mystery, but nevertheless, a
Truth of the Catholic Faith.
Since Apostolic times, the Church
has always taught that Mary cooperates
in the redemption of mankind.
One last note: In
the Church, we make a distinction
between :
doctrine that is considered
common teaching of the Church and
doctrine that is common teaching of the Church, but
has also been solemnly defined. (dogmas)
The
first is called doctrine, the latter
is called dogma. All dogmas of the Church are doctrines,
but not all doctrines of the Church
are dogmas.
Two of Our Blessed Mother's titles:
Co-Redemptrix, and
Mediatrix of Graces
while common teachings of the Church
(doctrines), have not yet been defined
formally by the Church as dogmas.
The teaching office (Cross references CCC 85-87, 2032-2040)
.
.
892 Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 25) which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.
Here is a good summary for advanced theology students.
Hope this helps,
Mike Humphrey
Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
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