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Anthony wrote:

Dear AAC Team,

I write to you as someone on the cusp of coming to realize, understand, embrace, and celebrate our Lady's office of Mediatrix of all Graces. This has been a slow process but I have one final obstacle that I have not found clarification on.

I ask you my question because I struggle greatly in getting a straight answer. I seem to be waffling on this matter.

My question(s):

  • Does Mary's holding of this title entail the following claim:

    • When a person is baptized and receives the grace of justification, it is true to say that the grace of justification received was imparted directly from Mary, after she herself received it from Christ, from the Father . . . Mutatis Mutandis for the remaining sacraments?

Thank you so much for your time and assistance. It is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Anthony

  { When we receive the grace of justification in the sacraments is it directly imparted from Mary? }

Mike replied:

Dear Anthony,

You said:

  • Does Mary's holding of this title entail the following claim:

    • When a person is baptized and receives the grace of justification, it is true to say that the grace of justification received was imparted directly from Mary, after she herself received it from Christ, from the Father . . . Mutatis Mutandis for the remaining sacraments?

No grace is directly imparted from any of the sacraments by Mary herself. Period!

To your point, Mary's yes, at the Annunciation was needed for Jesus to become a True Man, and in His becoming a True Man, He was able to institute the sacraments (outward signs instituted by Christ that give sanctifying grace.)

In the same way, faithful Catholics today cooperate in the salvation of other souls for their salvation; Our Blessed Mother was the prime cooperator with Jesus in the salvation of all the souls of mankind.

As the International Marian Association stated: The Co-Redemptrix title never places Mary on a level of equality with Jesus Christ, the only divine Redeemer, as to do so would constitute both heresy and blasphemy.

The Co-Redemptrix title is meaningless without Jesus the Redeemer, and in itself, focuses upon the Cross of Jesus Christ. Mary Co-Redemptrix proclaims to the world that suffering is redemptive when united to the sufferings of Christ.

In the same way, Eve cooperated with Adam to bring Original sin into the world; Our Blessed Mother cooperated with Jesus to abolish Original sin in the world and undue what both Adam and Eve did.

This is the proper way to understand this Marian title, Co-Redemptrix, which is not a dogma but a teaching of the Church.

I'm sure my colleague may wish to clarify or add more to what I have said.

I hope this helps,

Mike

John replied:

Anthony,

The Church Teaches and has always taught that Jesus Christ acts through the minister of the Sacrament, by the Power of the Holy Spirit . . . not Mary, or anyone else.

Now in a mystical level, all the members of the Church, including Mary, as part of Christ's Body, participate. The Church is the Sacrament of Salvation through which all graces flow but Mary has a unique role.

But we must be extremely careful to not make Mary out to be some kind of free lance agent apart from Jesus Christ.

Put another way.

  • The Trinity is Management.
  • The Church is the sales force.
  • Mary heads up the sales force.
  • She doesn't sit on the Board of Directors.

John

Bob replied:

John —

  • So, if we are employed, do we get stock options in our package? : )

Bob

John replied:


Yes, We are vested with inheritance, if we persevere to the end. : ))

John

Paul replied:

Anthony,

The Church has never dogmatically spelled out the Heavenly dynamics that accompanies us receiving grace. We know grace is necessary for salvation, and we know Christ won it for us on the Cross.

The exact role Mary and the saints have in its distribution to the faithful is not defined. There are pious traditions that, in seeing the people of God as a family, believes Christ gives us grace through Mary, like a working father gives his money to the stay-at-home mother to dispense to the children according to the father's will. There's nothing that contradicts Church teaching with this idea. The bottom line is that Christ's will and Mary's will are perfectly aligned, hence, in this respect, it doesn't matter how grace is dispensed.

Remember Mary in the second chapter of John. It was her intercession that enabled the wedding at Cana to continue without embarrassment or humiliation to the wedding party. It was also her intercession that spurred on Jesus to perform His first miracle and begin His public ministry.

Peace,

Paul

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