.
Ave Maria:
Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate
"Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession
of
the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, your well-beloved spouse."
It was a grievous
sin. While it is difficult to comprehend, we must remember that Adam and Eve
lived on a higher level. They lived in a much higher state, one that was very
close to God. Defying God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil was so serious that it cost them Eden; it cost them their immortality;
and it became a sin that was transferred to future generations.
In His great
mercy, Our Heavenly Father promised to send a Savior. Indeed He sent His only
begotten Son, who was one with the Father. In essence the Father, not only
sacrificed His only Son for his human children, but sacrificed Himself as well.
His plan for
our salvation; however, requires our active participation. As children of God,
we are called to coredemption. Indeed, according to
Holy Scripture, we can not enter the kingdom of Heaven unless we coredeem ourselves. In no way does this detract from the
Redemptive Sacrifice of Jesus, but rather it serves to compliment it.
It was St. Paul who
said "For
we are God’s co-workers…" (I Cor. 3:9)
The prefix
"co" is derived from the Latin word "cum", and means "WITH", as in
"co-pilot", "co-worker", "co-incidence",
"co-insurance", "co-llaborate",
"co-operate", "co-existence", "co-pay", etc.
Consider that the word "communion" is a Latin derivative meaning
"with union" or "in union with".
It is worthy of
emphasis that the prefix "co" indicates inferior dependence. It does NOT mean that we
are on an equal footing with Jesus Christ. He is the one and only, Redeemer.
This means that we are called by God to actively cooperate in His
plan for our salvation, and thereby obtain all of the graces that Jesus won
through His passion and death on the cross.
We do this by:
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Being baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, |
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Accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Our Savior, |
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Keeping the Ten Commandments, and seeking forgiveness of our sins. |
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Living Holy Scripture, |
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Suffering daily for the sin of Adam, and |
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Experiencing death, and subsequently being resurrected by the Holy Trinity into our glorified bodies. |
Holy Scripture
tells us in a number of places that we must participate in our redemption,
actively and overtly.
"Now, I
rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is
lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the
church...". (Col. 1:24)
"…So also
faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead…You believe that God is
one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you
ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that
faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the
works…" (Jas 3:14-26)
[It
is worthy of emphasis that in the passage above, St. James is telling us that
believing alone that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is insufficient. The demons
of Hell KNOW that Jesus is the Son of God and still they burn.]
"…I know
your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish your were either
cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit
you out of my mouth…" (Rv
3:15-16).
Furthermore, it was the Will
of Our Heavenly Father:
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that His only begotten Son take on human flesh; |
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that His only begotten Son take on human flesh through a woman; |
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that this woman agree willingly to participate in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind by becoming the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of the Son of God; |
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that this woman consent willingly to offer her Son, and His Son, as a sacrifice to the Father; and |
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that this woman agree willingly not to interfere with God’s plan for the sacrifice of their Son to the Father, in spite of her heartfelt agony incurred in witnessing His suffering and immolation. |
Mary, Coredemptrix
Thus, the
Blessed Mother of God participated in the coredemption
of mankind in a very unique way.
In the ancient
writings of the Church Fathers (i.e. the disciples of the Apostles, and their
disciples, as well) and the Doctors of the Church, they acknowledge Mary’s role
as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix
and Advocate without using modern terms. We see further evidence of her role in
many of the historical Papal writings. This is Catholic Tradition, and is part
of our Faith.
Dr. Mark Miravalle, professor at the Franciscan University at Stuebenville and President of Vox
Populi Mariae Mediatrici, discussed the related Patristic writings in
this way:
"Mary’s coredemptive role with our Lord in the work of redemption
emerges as an important theme in the early Church beginning with Sts. Justin and Irenaeus in the second century. They used
the image of the "New Adam" (Jesus) and the "New Eve"
(Mary): The life of grace that the first Adam and the first Eve had jointly
lost for mankind, was jointly restored by the New Adam and the New Eve. The virgin Eve, through
her disobedience to the Father, interiorly cooperated with Adam in the sin that
lost the life of grace for the human family (Cf. Gn
3:6); the Virgin Mary, in her obedience to the Father (Cf. Lk
1:38),
interiorly cooperated with Jesus Christ, the New Adam, in the salvation of the
human family through His redemption.
"Mary’s
unequaled participation in the redemption of the human race as the New Eve was
the universal Christian teaching in the early Church. In fact, the great
Patristic scholar, John Henry Newman, said that "by the time of St. Jerome
(331-420), the contrast between Eve and Mary had almost passed into a
proverb." St. 
Jerome had remarked:
"Per Evam mors, per
Mariam vita" ("Death through Eve, Life through Mary")..." (1)
In the first
chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read of the Annunciation by St. Gabriel to
Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Savior. Through one
contemporary prophet, Our Lord has told us that when St. Gabriel announced to
her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she was given a vision of the
rest of her life and the sorrow that she would endure in offering her Son as a
sacrifice. She agreed to her role in God’s plan for our salvation by responding
with the Magnificat: "Behold, the handmaid of
the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word." (Lk 1:38)
She thereby
cooperated as a partner in God’s plan for the redemption of mankind, and her
body and the body of the Son of God became united inseparably for nine months. No other creature has ever
had this honor. No other creature has ever cooperated with God’s plan of
redemption at such a level. Her role of coredemption
is unique.
Further, we see
evidence of the pain and suffering that she was to endure in the second chapter
of Luke when Jesus was presented to God in the temple. It was Simeon who
stated, "…and
a sword will pierce your own heart, too.". (Lk 2:35)
In Holy
Scripture we read of her further cooperation with God’s plan when she
encountered Jesus carrying His cross. In spite of her agony, she neither
interfered nor objected. We read of the Blessed Mother being present at Jesus’
crucifixion. Again, she cooperated fully, and neither objected nor interfered.
Father Peter J.
Arnoudt in his book "The Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus" (Imprimatur,
Nihil Obstat) relates one of his
locutions from Jesus which provides additional insight into the pain
experienced by the Blessed Virgin at the crucifixion of her Son:
Jesus said:
"My Child, behold! At last we come to Golgotha, to Mount Calvary. They lay
down the cross forthwith, they push forward and hurry on everything.
"Nor do
they, meanwhile, cease to torture Me. Nay, they even gave Me wine mingled with
myrrh and gall. So great was their cruelty!
"And when
they were now ready, raising a shout, they cruelly fasten Me to the cross,
driving in the nails, with violent and repeated strokes, which the valley below
re-echoed to the sky, ------each one of which pierced the Heart of My Mother, there present.
"Thus,
Child, did they dig My hands and My feet: they counted all My bones, which, by
the stretching of My Body, could be seen distinctly.
"Then couldst thou behold the cross ruthlessly raised, and Myself
hanging between heaven and earth; whilst the Blood flowed from every wound,
washing the earth, and crying to heaven for the salvation of man…." (2)
She stood there, and
remained obedient. Imagine the agony of watching your Son tortured and
crucified knowing that you willingly agreed to offer Him in this way to the Father. In the end Mary
responded the same way in which she had in the beginning: "And Mary kept
all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." (Lk
2:20)
While Jesus
offered His passion to His Father, the Blessed Mother offered her compassion to the Father.
Our Lady
provides additional insight into our participation and her participation in our
coredemption in one of her most reveling messages to
Fr. Stefano Gobbi (Imprimaturs). Message #203 is entitled "The Work of Coredemption":
"Assent to
my plan, beloved sons, and allow yourselves to be formed by your Mother. Thus I
am able, more and more, to associate you with my maternal work of coredemption.
"Jesus
is the only Redeemer because He alone is the mediator between God and men. He
has however willed to take into partnership in his redemptive work all those
who have been redeemed by Him, so that the merciful work of his love may shine
forth in a greater and more wonderful way.
"Thus you,
who have been redeemed, can cooperate with Him in his redemptive work. He in
you, who are so intimately united with Him so as to form his very Mystical
Body, can gather in your day the fruit of what He accomplished once for all on
Calvary.
"I am for
you the perfect model of your cooperation in the redemptive work accomplished
by my Son. In fact, as Mother of Jesus, I have become intimately associated
with Him in his work of redemption.
"My
presence beneath the Cross tells you how my Son has willed to unite the Mother
completely to all his great sufferings, at the time of his passion and his
death for you.
If the Cross
was his scaffold, the pain of my Immaculate Heart was like the altar on which
my Son offered to the Father the Sacrifice of the new and eternal Covenant.
"As Mother
of the Church, I was also intimately associated with Jesus in the
accomplishment of his redemptive work, which is carried out in the course of
history, by offering to all men the possibility of accepting that salvation
which He obtained for you at the time of his bloody immolation. Thus the more
numerous they are who attain salvation, the more fully is the masterpiece of
his divine love realized.
"My motherly task is
that of helping my children in every way to attain salvation; and today still, it is that
of cooperating in a very special way in the redemption accomplished by my Son
Jesus.
My role as true Mother and Coredemptrix will become
manifest to all…" (3)
Dr. Miravalle explains: "At the Annunciation (Cf. Lk.
1:38) Mary freely cooperated in giving the Second Person of the Trinity
His human body which is the very instrument of redemption, as Scripture tells us:
"We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all" (Heb 10:10).
"And at
the foot of the cross of our Saviour (Cf. Jn
19:26),
Mary’s intense sufferings, united with those of her Son, as Pope John Paul II
tells us, were, "also a contribution to the Redemption of us all" (Salvifici Doloris, n. 25). Because of this intimate
sharing in the redemption accomplished by the Lord, the Mother of the Redeemer
is uniquely and rightly referred to by Pope John Paul II and the Church as the
"Coredemptrix"…The Marian title of Coredemptrix never places Mary on a level of equality with
her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Rather it refers to Mary’s unique human participation which is
completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone
is true God and true Man. (1)
"As our
"goodness" does not make God less good, neither does Mary’s share in
God’s redemptive plan take away from Jesus’ unique role as Redeemer.". (3)
In his audience of
September 18, 1996, Pope John Paul II said:
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"For Mary, dedication to the person and work of Jesus means...co-operation in His work of salvation. Mary carries out this last aspect of her dedication to Jesus "under Him", that is, in a condition of subordination, which is the fruit of grace. However this is true co-operation, because it is realized "with him" and, beginning with the Annunciation, it involves active participation in the work of redemption. "Rightly therefore," the Second Vatican Council observes, "the Fathers see Mary not merely as passively engaged by God, but as freely co-operating in the work of man’s salvation through faith and obedience. For, as St. Irenaeus says, she "being obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race.". (Adv. Haer. III, 22, 4). |
Cardinal Avery
Dulles explains it in much the same manner. He quotes Pope John Paul II in his
Wednesday audience catechesis of April 9, 1996:
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"Moreover, when the Apostle Paul says, "For we are God's fellow workers" (1 Cor. 3:9) , he maintains the real possibility for man to co-operate with God. The collaboration of believers, which obviously excludes any equality with him, is expressed in the proclamation of the Gospel and in their personal contribution to its taking root in human hearts. However, applied to Mary, the term "co-operator" acquires a specific meaning. The collaboration of Christians in salvation takes place after the Calvary event, whose fruits they endeavor to spread by prayer and sacrifice. Mary, instead, co-operated during the event itself and in the role of mother; thus her co-operation embraces the whole of Christ's saving work. She alone was associated in this way with the redemptive sacrifice that merited the salvation of all mankind. In union with Christ and in submission to him, she collaborated in obtaining the grace of salvation for all humanity." |
Cardinal Dulles explains further:
"Whether he [John Paul II] is speaking of Mary's mediation or of her role
in redemption, the Pope always makes it clear that he is referring to her
participation in Christ's own action, which is by itself incomparable and
sufficient. The doctrine of Mary as coredemptrix
cannot mean that she stands on the same level with Christ or makes up for any
deficiency in his redemptive action. But since Christ's mediation does not
exclude the cooperation of subordinate mediators, so, it would seem, he could
freely associate others with his redemptive action without ceasing to be the
full and sufficient cause. If this point is clearly understood, it is
acceptable to speak of Mary as having been in some way conjoined with Christ in
his redemptive work, and in that qualified sense as "coredemptrix."
(7)
Mary, Mediatrix
of All Graces
"Standing
by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopias, and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His
mother, "Woman behold, your son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your
mother.". (Jn 19:25-27)
On July 16,
1980 (Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel), Our Lady gave Message #204 to Fr.
Stefano Gobbi, which is entitled, "Mediatrix of
Graces". It reads:
"Beloved
children, I am the Mediatrix of Graces. Grace is the
very life of God which is communicated to you. It springs from the bosom of the
Father and is merited for you by the Word who, in my virginal womb, became man
to share with you that same divine life, and for this He offered Himself as a
ransom for you, becoming thus the one and only Mediator between God and all
humanity.
"From the
bosom of the Father, grace, in order to reach you, must therefore pass through
the divine Heart of the Son, who communicates it to you in His Spirit of Love.
Just as a ray of light, which passes through a window, assumes its shape, color
and design, so too divine grace, merited by Jesus, can come to you only through
Him, and it is for this reason that it reproduces in you His own image, the
very same image which shapes you ever more and more to His own person.
"Divine
life can reach you only in the form of Jesus, and the more this increases in
you, the more you are assimilated to Him, in such a way that you can really
grow as His little brothers.
"By means
of grace, the Father communicates Himself to you ever more and more, the Son
assimilates you, the Holy Spirit transforms you, bringing about a relationship
of life with the Most Holy Trinity, which becomes ever increasingly strong and
active. Within souls who are in grace, it is the Most Holy Trinity Itself which
takes up its dwelling place there.
"This life
of grace has also a relationship with your heavenly Mother.
"As I am
truly the Mother of Jesus and your Mother, my mediation is exercised between
you and my Son Jesus. .This is the natural
consequence of my divine motherhood.
"As the
Mother of Jesus, I am the means chosen by God by which my Son can reach you. In
my virginal womb this first act of mediation of mine is carried out.
"As your
Mother, I was the means chosen by Jesus that through me all of you may reach
Him.
"I am truly the Mediatrix of Grace between you and my Son Jesus. My task is
that of distributing to my little children that grace which flows out from the
bosom of the Father, is merited for you by the Son and is given to you by the
Holy Spirit.
"My task
is that of distributing it to all my children, according to the particular
needs of each one, which the Mother is very good at knowing.
"I am ever
carrying out this duty of mine. However I can carry it out fully only in the case of those children
who entrust themselves to me with perfect abandonment. I am above all able to
carry it out in respect to you, my favorite sons who, by your consecration,
have entrusted yourselves completely to me.
"I am the
way which leads you to Jesus. I am the safest and shortest way, the necessary
way for each one of you. If you refuse to go along this way, you run the danger
of being lost in the course of your journey.
"Today
many have wished to put me aside, considering me an obstacle in reaching Jesus,
because they have not understood my function as Mediatrix
between you and my Son.
"And so,
never before as in these present times, are so many of my children running the
risk of not being able to reach Him. The Jesus whom they meet is often only the
result of their human research, and corresponds to their aspirations and
desires; He is a Jesus formed according to their measure; He is not Jesus, the
Christ, the true Son of God and of your Immaculate Mother.
"Entrust
yourselves to me with confidence, and you will remain faithful, because I will
be able to carry out fully my work as Mediatrix of
Graces. .I will take you each day
along the way of my Son, in such a way that He may increase in you to His
fullness.
"This is
my great work, which I am still carrying out in silence and in the desert.
Under my powerful action as Mediatrix of Graces, you
are ever more transformed into Christ, that you may become fit for the task
which awaits you. Forward then, with courage, along the way traced out by your
heavenly Mother…" (3)
[Note well the
significance of the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.].
We see that in
His last act before His death, Jesus gave us His mother as the mediatrix between mankind and Jesus, a role of subordinate mediation. She earned this right
through her coredemptive role. Is it not the role of
a mother to mediate on behalf of her children? How many times have mothers
softened the will of disciplinarian fathers by their pleas of mediation?
In his
encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, Pope John Paul II stated:
"Thus there is mediation: Mary places herself between her Son and mankind
in the reality of its wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herself "in
the middle", that is to say, she acts as a mediatrix
not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that , as such,
she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind and in fact, she "has
the right" to do so." (4)
According to
Dr. Miravalle, "The title "Mediatrix of all Graces" is appropriate for Mary
simply by the fact that she gave Jesus his human nature. In accepting the
invitation to be his Mother, she becomes the "God-bearer" (Gk. theotokos) and thereby mediates to us Jesus Christ,
author of all graces. Therefore, the Annunciation (Lk
1:26-38) is an event of mediation on the part of Our Lady, as she finds
herself "in the middle," that is, between God and us. She, alone,
freely chooses whether she will or will not give flesh to the second person of
the Trinity…
"At the
Wedding of Cana (Cf. Jn 2:1-11), we again see Mary’s mediation, and, most significantly, we see the
effects of her mediation: "This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana
in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him" (Jn 2:11).
"As our
Lord was dying on the Cross, he gives to his Virgin Mother the new role of
Mother of all Christians: "Woman, behold, your son!...Behold, your
mother!" (Jn 19:26). At the Lord’s command the Blessed Virgin becomes Mother of all
Christians (and universally, the Mother of all peoples), and therein is called
to exercise her supernatural duties as our spiritual Mother. This surely means
that she will have the task of nourishing her children, and she does this by
mediating the graces of the Redemption from Christ to mankind. Therefore, she
is "Mediatrix of all Graces." (1)
Dr. Miravalle continues, "By the fourth century, the
Church Fathers manifested a profound understanding of Mary’s function as Mediatrix. In reference to the Blessed Virgin, St. Ephraem (373) said: "With the Mediator, you are the Mediatrix of the entire world" (S. Ephraem, Syri opera graeca et latine, ed., Assemani, v. 3, Romae, pp. 525,
528-9, 532). St. Cyril of Alexandria, in one of the greatest Marian sermons of
antiquity, said: "Hail Mary Theotokos, venerable
treasure of the whole world...it is you through whom the Holy Trinity is
glorified and adored,...through whom the tempter, the devil is cast down from
heaven, through whom the fallen creature is raised up to heaven, through whom
all creation, once imprisoned by idolatry, has reached knowledge of the truth,
through whom holy baptism has come to believers...through whom nations are
brought to repentance...." (Hom. in
Deiparam, PG 65, p.681).
Antipater
of Bostra, another Father of the Council of Ephesus
(AD 431), wrote: "Hail you who acceptably intercede as a Mediatrix for mankind."
"St.
Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Germanus of
Constantinople, St. Peter Damian, St. Bernard of Clairvaux
and St. Bernardine of Siena all spoke either explicitly of Mary as Mediatrix of all Graces or of Marian mediation. Such
citations became ever more frequent by numerous Doctors of the Church, mystics,
saints, and writers throughout the Middle Ages up to the modern era. St.
Bernard of Clairvaux stated: "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)." (5)
Father Peter
Damian M. Fehlner, F.F.I
stated it this way: "In a word the suffering and death He endured
corporally, she endured in her heart without dying, so that she might be by
right (meritoriously, exigitive) maternal mediatrix of all graces…Mary is the mediatrix
of that union between Head and Body, Christ and us, because she is the Virgin
Mother, the maternal Coredemptrix, on Calvary…".
(5)
With respect to
the Papal writings on this issue, Cardinal Avery Dulles summarizes them as
follows: "The designation of Mary as "mediatrix"
is a commonplace in papal documents. Leo XIII in 1896 said of her, "No single
individual can even be imagined who has ever contributed or ever will
contribute so much toward reconciling man with God.... She is therefore truly
His [Christ's] mother and for this reason a worthy and acceptable `Mediatrix to the Mediator.'" Pius X in 1904 said that
by reason of the union she had with Jesus she is "the most powerful mediatrix and advocate of the whole world with her divine
Son." Benedict XV in 1915 in an address to the Consistory of Cardinals
declared: "The faith of her believers and her children's love consider her
not only God's mother, but also the mediatrix with
God." Pius XI in 1928 declared that Christ willed "to make his mother
the advocate for sinners and the dispenser and mediatrix
of his grace." Pius XII in 1940, without actually using the term "mediatrix," urged faithful Christians to have recourse
to Mary since, as Bernard had taught, "It is the will of God that we
obtain all favors through Mary." (7)
Common Objection – I Timothy 2:5
"First of
all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings
be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and
tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our
Savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave
himself as ransom for all." (I Tm 2:1-6).
Dr. Miravalle continues, "One objection that resurfaces
particularly in various ecumenical arenas is on the classic Pauline text of 1
Tim 2:5: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus." Although the overall context of the passage in
which the verse occurs highlights the value of human "supplications,
prayers, intercessions" from the faithful (cf. v.
1-4),
nonetheless the "one Mediator" reference is interpreted by some in
the sense of "exclusivity," as a mandate prohibiting any other
subordinate mediation within, and in service to, the one mediation of Jesus
Christ…
"The
general concept of mediation as manifest in Sacred Scripture reveals a mediator (Gk. mesites) as a person who seeks to intervene between two parties with the
purpose of reconciliation and union of the two respective parties. The task of
the mediator is not to further distance the two respective parties, but to
unite and reconcile. Sacred Scripture, as we shall see, reveals divinely
designated mediators chosen explicitly by God to assist in the process of uniting
and reconciling God and the human family. It is in this context that we must
examine 1 Tim 2:5.
"The
proper understanding of "Christ the one Mediator" text of 1 Tim 2:5
presupposes a critical and fundamental distinction: the one and perfect
mediation of Jesus Christ does not prevent or prohibit, but rather provides
and calls for a sharing and participation by others in a subordinate and
secondary fashion in this one perfect mediation of the Lord. The perfect mediation of
Jesus Christ allows for, as a quality and manifestation of its perfection, the
participation of others in His one and primordial mediation to the Father.
Scripture
reveals, in the context of several parallels, not only the possibility but in
fact the obligation of Christians to participate in that which is in the first
place exclusively true of Jesus Christ.
"The
one Sonship of Jesus Christ. There is only one true
begotten Son of the Father. This is the Logos, the Word who became
flesh. At the same time, we are called to become adopted sons of God (Cf. 2: Cor 5:17; 1 Jn 3:1; Jn 1:12; Gal 2:20; 2 Pet 1:4). Adopted sonship is a participation in the one Sonship
of Jesus Christ, which only manifests the glory and efficacy of the one Sonship of the Lord.
"The
One Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews makes reference to the uniqueness and singularity of
Jesus Christ, the "high priest" (Cf. Heb
3:1; 4:14; 5:10), who alone as Priest and Victim is offered "for the
sanctification of us all" (Cf. Heb
10:10). At
the same time, all Christians are called in different levels and degrees to
participate in the one Priesthood of Jesus Christ. This is done in a special
way in the ministerial priesthood in the sacramental continuation of the
offering of the Sacrifice of Calvary. It is also shared in by the "royal priesthood"
of the laity (Cf. 1 Pt 2:9) where all baptized into Christ are called to "offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God" (1 Pt 2:5). Christians thereby,
whether in degrees of the priesthood of the laity or in ministerial priesthood,
are called to participate and share in that which is exclusively true of Jesus
Christ, the one High Priest.
"Living
in the One Christ. The life of grace is a participation in the life and love of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not fully possess in ourselves the infinite
being and attributes of God. When the Greek and Latin Fathers exhort us to
"deification" and "divinization," they are calling the
faithful to participation in the divine nature. We become
"partakers of the divine nature" (Cf. 2 Pt 1:4). In the order of
participation, our life of grace is dependent on "Christ who lives in
me" (Gal 2:20), a sharing in the one divine nature of Christ Jesus.
"It is in
this context of the scriptural imperative for Christians to participate in that
which is uniquely true of the Lord, that we properly understand 1 Tim 2:5. The
perfect mediation of Jesus Christ likewise elicits a Christian imperative for
all baptized Christians to participate and profoundly share in the one
mediation of the Lord. As adopted sons of the one Son; as priests,
ministerial and royal, sharing in the sacrifice of the one Priest; as partakers
in the one divine nature of Christ, all Christians must also participate in the
one mediation of Christ. The People of God must mediate to the world (and to
one another) the fullness of the salvific Gospel of Christ the one Mediator. (5)
[Note: I
Timothy 2:1 calls for our prayers to be offered for the benefit of others. Are
not such prayers a form of mediation? (6) ]
"The
primordial question remains: does it obscure, or does it manifest the glory of
the one mediation of Jesus Christ to have others participate in this one
mediation? This question is succinctly answered when one imagines a Church and
a world without adopted sons and daughters participating in the one Sonship; a Church and a world without priests sharing in
the one Priesthood; as well as a Church and a world without participation in
the divine nature leading to the sanctification of the human family.
"Participation
in the one mediation of Jesus Christ constitutes a critical Christian
imperative which in a most incarnational way profoundly manifests the
glory of the one primary and foundational mediation of Jesus Christ; it is
a subordinate mediation in the one Mediation upon which the life and efficacy
of the Church as a whole finds her own identity and purpose. The Church must
always participate in the one mediation of the Lord, and through her prayer and
sacramental life, through her Petrine office and apostolic succession, mediate
to the world the truth and life of the One Mediator until he comes again in
Glory.
"The
written Word of God also points to several examples of created persons called
upon directly by the Father to participate in acts of subordinate mediation. The
Patriarchs were chosen by God to mediate a covenantal relationship between
Yahweh and his chosen nation, starting with Abraham (Cf. Gn 12:2; Gn 15:18). Moses was the great Old
Testament mediator, who acted as the chosen "intermediary" (Cf. Gal
3:19) to unite Yahweh and the Israelites in the great covenant of Exodus.
The moral and "physical" mediation of Moses is illustrated in Exodus,
when the hands of Moses had to be elevated and sustained by others in order for
Yahweh’s favor in battle to continue to reach the chosen People (Cf. Ex
17:11-13).
"The
Prophets were chosen by God and granted divine illumination by the Spirit of
Truth to be mediators of communication between Yahweh and the people of Israel.
The Angels, as God’s secondary causes, fill the pages of both Old and New
Testaments in their role as heavenly mediators between God and his people of
faith.
"St. Paul
tells us in Galatians: "Why then the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been
made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary. Now an
intermediary implies more than one; but God is one" (Gal.
3:19-20).
Revelation plainly attests to the reality of created personal mediators, both
human and angelic, who can be seen as sharing in the one perfect mediation of
Jesus Christ at the reconciling service of the Father and the human family.
"The
Second Vatican Council substantially establishes the legitimacy of subordinate
mediation as a participation in the perfect mediation of Jesus Christ, while
confirming the fruit of subordinate mediation as a manifestation of that which
is uniquely true and dependent upon the "one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus"
(Cf. 1 Tm 2:5):
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"No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source (Lumen Gentium, n. 62). |
"What then
of Maternal Mediation? How does the Mother of Jesus participate in the one
Mediation of the Lord?
"In regard
to Mary Mediatrix and her unique sharing in
the one mediation of Jesus Christ, the Council Fathers tell us:
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"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" (Lumen Gentium, n.62). |
"The
Blessed Virgin Mary shares like no other creature, angel or saint, in the one
mediation of Jesus Christ, and therefore is rightly and uniquely referred to as
the "Mediatrix" (Lumen Gentium, n. 62). Mary in a way all her own and beyond all other creatures
participates in 1 Tim 2:5, because of her unique coredemptive
participation in the acquisition of grace with and under Jesus as the New Eve
that consequently results in her unique mediatorial task in the distribution of
the graces of Calvary. John Paul II explains in Redemptoris Mater:
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"Mary entered, in a way all her own, into the one mediation ‘between God and men’ which is the mediation of the man Christ Jesus (Cf. 1 Tm 2:5)...we must say that through this fullness of grace and supernatural life she was especially predisposed to cooperation with Christ, the one Mediator of human salvation. And such cooperation is precisely this mediation subordinated to the mediation of Christ...In Mary’s case we have a special and exceptional mediation..." |
"St.
Thomas Aquinas succinctly sums up the principle which articulates not only the
legitimacy of Marian mediation but also the legitimacy of all Christians
participating in that one perfect mediation of Jesus: "Christ alone is the
perfect mediator between God and man...but there is nothing to prevent others in
a certain way from being called mediators between God and man insofar as they,
by preparing or serving, cooperate in uniting men to God."
"Our Lady
is the Coredemptrix who uniquely shares in the one
mediation of Christ in acquiring the fruits of the Redemption, and as a result
she uniquely participates in that selfsame perfect mediation of Christ as Mediatrix of the graces of the Redemption, bringing to the
People of God, as the Council says, "the gifts of eternal salvation."
(5)
Cardinal Dulles
explains Mary’s subordinate mediatorial role in this manner:
"The
difficulty is often raised that to speak of Mary in these terms derogates from
the unique mediatorship of Jesus Christ, which is
formally affirmed in Scripture (1 Tim. 2:5). Mary's mediation might
even seem to interfere with an immediate union between the Christian and the
Lord. In replying to this difficulty, Pope John Paul II repeats the teaching of
Vatican II that "all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin ...
originate from the divine pleasure; they flow forth from the superabundance of
the merits of Christ, rest on his mediation, depend entirely upon it, and draw
all their power from it. In no way do they impede the immediate union of the
faithful with Christ. Rather, they foster this union" ("Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church," No. 60). Mary's mediation, according to the council,
"takes nothing away from the dignity and power of Christ the one mediator,
and adds nothing to it" (No. 62). (7)
Since Our
Lady’s first apparition to St. James in the first century, there have been
thousands upon thousands of documented alleged apparitions of the
Blessed Virgin. She has appeared worldwide to people of all walks of life and
of all ages. In her many apparitions, she has pleaded with us for our conversion,
prayers, and fasting. She has told us that she presents our prayers and
sacrifices, together with her prayers, before her Son to comfort His pain,
appease His wrath, and trigger His mercy.
Her statues
have cried human tears and tears of oil in desperate efforts to prompt us to
convert, pray and fast; as well as to prompt us to evangelize others who remain
inattentive to her mediatorial pleas.
Her
effectiveness at mediating between her Son and man is limited by the nature and
extent of our prayers. She is engaged in battle with the Red Dragon using our
prayers as her weapons.
We must
keep her well-armed.
Mary, Advocate
"…Then
Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah,
and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon
his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his
right. "There is one small favor I would ask of you," she said.
"Do not refuse me." "Ask it, my mother," the king said to her, "for I
will not refuse you…". (I Kgs 2:19-20)
The
Blessed Mother of God is the fairest daughter of the Father, the Mother of the
Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She has a relationship with the Holy
Trinity unlike any other creature. Her role as Advocate for the children of God
is unlike any other creature’s as well.
Dr. Miravalle described it this way: "In the great
Davidic kingdoms of the Old Testament, the mother of the king traditionally
held the office of the "Queen Mother" (or "Gebirah" in Hebrew, literally meaning "the
Great Lady", (Cf. 1 Kgs 2:11,19). The principal role of the Queen Mother was to serve as advocate
or intercessor on behalf of the people of Israel to her son the King.
"In the
New Testament, with the announcement of the new and eternal King and Kingdom of
God (Cf. Lk. 1:32-33), so too humanity receives a new Queen Mother, as principal advocate
for the people of God in presenting their needs to Jesus Christ, the King of
kings. .Her advocacy is clearly
manifest at Cana, interceding on behalf of those without physical wine, but
ultimately for the spiritual and Eucharistic wine of her Son (Jn
2:1-10). At
Calvary, the Crucified King presents his Mother and Queen to the world as gift
to all in his Kingdom (Jn 19:27). And in Revelation, the new
Queen Mother in the universal and everlasting Kingdom of Christ is crowned with
twelve stars (Rv 12:1), as she, in battle array, continues her life and death advocacy
for humanity against the spiritual warring of the Dragon-Adversary. (6)
"Mary’s
doctrinal role as Advocate for the People of God constitutes something
substantially more than the simple intercession participated in by all other
saints. Our Lady’s role as Advocate completes what might be considered the
Marian circle of mediation at the service of Christ and the human family.
."As Coredemptrix, the Virgin shares in the acquisition of grace
with and under Christ. As Mediatrix, she dispenses
those graces of Redemption to the human family. But the Marian circle of
universal mediation finds its completion in Mary’s role of bringing the
petitioned needs of humanity back from humanity to the throne of Christ
the King, thus completing her mediatorial service both for the Lord and for
humanity. " (5)
Perhaps her
intercessory role as Advocate for the children of God is best explained by Our
Lady herself in her message #396 to Fr. Stefano Gobbi on December 31, 1988
entitled
"Mother of Intercession and of Reparation". It reads:
"Gather
together in prayer with me, beloved children, at the end of this year which has
been particularly dedicated to me. I am your heavenly Mother.
"I am the
Mother of Intercession and of Reparation.
-- "My maternal task is
that of interceding each day for you, before my Son Jesus. As an attentive and concerned
Mother, I am asking for all the graces that you have need of in order to walk
along the road of goodness, of love and of holiness.
"For my
sinful children, I obtain the grace of repentance, of a change of heart, of
return to the Lord. For my sick children, I grant the grace of understanding
the meaning of every suffering, of accepting it with docility, of offering it
with love, of carrying one's own cross with trust and with filial obedience to
the Will of the Lord. For my good children, I obtain the gift of perseverance
in good. For my priest-sons, I intercede that they may be holy ministers and
faithful to Jesus and to his Gospel.
"Each new
day that opens out corresponds to a new act of prayer on the part of your
heavenly Mother, to help you to walk forward, in the desert of your time, along
the road of love and of the faithful fulfillment of the Will of God, which must
be accomplished by you with filial docility.
-- "My
maternal task is also that of offering reparation for the great evil which,
still today, is being committed in the world. I unite myself with each Holy
Mass which is celebrated, to offer to the Heavenly Father the precious blood of
his Son Jesus, who is still immolating and sacrificing Himself for you on every
altar of the earth. It is only his divine blood, shed for you, that can wash
away all the evil, the sin, the hatred, the impurity, the iniquity that covers
the world. Thus, in a spirit of maternal reparation, I unite to the blood of
Christ all the sufferings which I gather together, each day, along your
pathway.
"I unite
to the blood of Jesus, the blood poured out by millions of babies still being
killed in their mothers' wombs and of all the victims of hatred, of violence
and of wars.
"I unite
to the blood of Jesus, all the sufferings of the sick, especially those who are
stricken with grave, humiliating and incurable maladies.
"I unite
to the blood of Jesus, the agonies of the dying, the sufferings of the poor, of
the marginalized, of the little, of the exploited, of the persecuted.
"I unite
to the blood of Jesus, each suffering of the good, of those consecrated, of the
priests.
"I unite
to the blood of Jesus, the great cross which the Church must carry today for
the salvation of all humanity.
"At the
close of this year, which has been particularly entrusted to me, I want to
associate you also in my maternal task of interceding and of making reparation
for all my children.
"And
even so, in the darkness and the coldness which still surrounds the world, I
urge you to live in hope and in great trust, because I am ever praying and
making reparation in order to obtain, for all, new days of peace and
salvation." (3)
Other
references to our Mother’s most powerful advocacy in intercession for us in her
messages to her priests include:
"My
Immaculate Heart is the golden doorway through which this divine Spirit passes
to reach you. And so I invite you to repeat often: ‘Come, Holy Spirit, come
by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your
well-beloved Spouse.’ " (June 7, 1981, Solemnity of Pentecost, 226k)
"If you do
what I am asking of you today, you put in my hands a powerful force of
intercession and of reparation. And thus I am able to present myself before the
throne of the Lord, great and terrible, just and holy, to implore for you his
divine mercy: ‘Pardon, O Lord, the iniquity of your people, whom You have
acquired at the price of your most precious Blood.’ " (February
17, 1988, Ash Wednesday, 374j)
"I have
held in my motherly hands the prayers and the sufferings of all my children and
I have deposited them in the open chalice of the divine and merciful Heart of
my Son Jesus. Thus I have been able to carry out, in a powerful way, my work of
mediation between you and my Son, and, as your sorrowful and merciful Mother, I
have interceded before Him for all." (December 31, 1989, 416b)
"The
times will be shortened, because I am Mother of Mercy, and each day I offer, at
the throne of Divine Justice, my prayer united to that of the children who are responding to me
with a ‘yes’ and consecrating themselves to my Immaculate Heart." .(September
29, 1995, Feast of the Holy Archangels, 553c) (6)
The Solemn Definition of our Mother,
Coredemptrix, Mediatrix,
Advocate
By Dr. Mark Miravalle (6)
What then of a
solemn papal definition of the roles of our Mother Coredemptrix,
Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate? In what way
would a papal definition of these Marian doctrinal roles as dogma be
fruitful for the Church and ultimately for the entire world? Does our Mother
make any possible allusion to this official and universal acknowledgment of her
Marian titles and her subsequent roles in her messages to her beloved priests?
Let us ponder a
few of her statements:
"Until I
am acknowledged there where the Most Holy Trinity has willed me to be, I will
not be able to exercise my power fully, in the maternal work of coredemption and of the universal mediation of graces. .For this reason, as the
battle between me and my Adversary entered its decisive phase, he tried by
every means to obscure the mission of your heavenly Mother." (June 14,
1980, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 201f)
"My role
as true Mother and Coredemptrix will become manifest
to all." (July 13, 1980, Anniversary of the Third Apparition of Fatima, 203h)
"When this
work of mine is completed, the greatness of the loving plan which I am now
carrying out will become apparent to the whole Church. My merciful work of coredemption has now become more necessary and urgent than
ever.
The task which
the Most Holy Trinity has entrusted to me will be acknowledged by all; I will
be able to exercise my great power fully, so that the victory of my Son Jesus
may shine forth everywhere, when He will restore, through you, his glorious reign
of Love." .(July 13,
1980, Anniversary of the Third Apparition of Fatima, 203mn) (6)
Our Mother
repeatedly refers to the fact that until she is acknowledged in her God-given
roles, that "I will not be able to exercise my power fully, in the maternal
work of coredemption and the maternal mediation of
graces" (June 14, 1980). Why is it that the full exercise of her roles as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and
Advocate are conditional upon the official ecclesial acknowledgement of these
Marian titles?
In the great
mystery of providence and free will, God has willed that certain actions will
take place only through the free cooperation of man. God respects our
freedom, and does not force His graces upon us. And as God awaited the free
"fiat" of a young woman to bring us our Redeemer (Lk
1:38), so
now the same Woman, respecting our freedom, awaits the free "fiat" of
a man, our beloved Vicar of Christ on earth, to release a great abundance of
supernatural graces upon the Church and the world. But as John the beloved
disciple welcomed Mary "into his home" (Jn
19:27),
our Holy Father must likewise "welcome" Mary into the homes and the
hearts of the human family by papally proclaiming her
as the Mother of all Peoples on the highest Church level of authority and
truth.
We have reached
a point of historical climax in this universally designated "Age of
Mary". Our hearts all long for the fulfillment of our Lady’s great Fatima
prophecy that "In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph" (July
13,1917).
The
papal proclamation of our Lady as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate by the Vicar of
Christ is the free invitation in the name of humanity which allows our
Spiritual Mother to "exercise fully", as she explains, her great
intercessory powers through her maternal roles of coredemption
and mediation in bringing her earthly children the heavenly graces so
critically needed for the contemporary Church and world.
As such, this
fifth and final Marian Dogma, will initiate the Triumph of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary. Her titles are her works, her functions for the Church, and the
papal proclamation of the full truth about our Mother Mary and her
sanctifying works for the Church and the world "frees her" to
use her full power of motherly intercession for the grave needs for
contemporary humanity.
Our Mother also
referred to this salvific role given to her by the Most Holy Trinity for this
age when she said at Fatima Apparitions, "God wishes to establish devotion
to My Immaculate Heart"; appeared as our "Mother of Sorrows" on
the day of the great solar miracle (October 13,1917); and pleaded with the world
to respond to her call because "only she can save you" (July 13,
1917).
During the 1920’s, the great Belgian prelate, Cardinal Mercier, with
the complementary enthusiasm and pen of St. Maximilian Kolbe, began an
ecclesial petition for this fifth Marian Dogma. Presently there is an
international Catholic movement of prayer and petitioning known as Vox Populi
Mariae Mediatrici, ("Voice of the People
for Mary Mediatrix") seeking to support our
beloved "Totus Tuus"
Holy Father in papally defining the doctrinal roles
of the Mother of All Peoples, Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate as Church dogma. Over
five hundred and fifty bishops, including forty-two cardinals, and over six
million Catholics from the five continents (including the late Mother Teresa of
Calcutta), have prayed and petitioned that this great Marian pope will soon
honor our Blessed Mother with this great dogmatic crown, and thus give
definitive initiation to the Triumph of her Most Immaculate Heart.
The Vox Populi Mariae
Mediatrici web site and online petition can be found
at:
Conclusion
In Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX explains the
benefits of raising an existing Church doctrine to the level of dogma:
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"The Church labors hard to polish the previous teachings, to bring to perfection their formulation in such a way that these older dogmas of the heavenly doctrine receive proof, light, distinction, while keeping their fullness, their integrity, their own character, in a word, in such a way that they develop within the same object contents and that they remain always in the same truth, the same denotation, the same thought…" |
Further Dr. Miravalle states, "Up to the present time in the
history of the church, four Marian doctrines have been defined as central
Catholic truths by the Church: the Motherhood of God, the Immaculate
Conception, the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, and her Glorious Assumption into
heaven. It is now time for the Church, at the summit of this Marian era, to
proclaim and define the fifth and final Marian doctrine, that is, Mary's
universal mediation as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all grace, and Advocate for the people of God.
"The universal
mediation of the Mother of Jesus as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate for the people of God
is already contained in the official
and authoritative teachings of the Church's Magisterium. .Now, at the summit of the
Marian era, what remains is the final proclamation by the Church of this final Marian
doctrine as Christian dogma revealed by God. (1)
"The
Immaculate Heart tells her priests: "The task which the Most Holy
Trinity has entrusted to me will be acknowledged by all; I will be able to
exercise my great power fully, so that the victory of my Son Jesus may shine
forth everywhere." (July 13, 1980) The cry of Triumph victory
rings in these words of our Mother. She will indeed be freed by this final
Marian dogma to intercede for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, and the
glorious Eucharistic Reign of Jesus upon the world, through a new release of
the Holy Spirit, a New Pentecost, in the words of our Holy Father, a "New
Springtime" for the Church and world.
"Let us
each do our part for the fulfillment of this victorious Triumph cry, that the Mother
of all Peoples, Coredemptrix, Mediatrix,
and Advocate may soon be acknowledged by all. Let us pray for our beloved Holy
Father, the "masterpiece of the Triumph", for the expedient
proclamation of the fifth Marian Dogma, and for a greater preaching and
teaching on these Marian titles to the faithful entrusted to our care, thereby
preparing their hearts for this upcoming truth and grace. For all of this, the
Triumph, the Dogma, the Eucharistic Victory of the Son, and the New Pentecost
are contained in the prayer and petition supernaturally revealed from the
Immaculate Heart to each of our own hearts through Don Gobbi:
"Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession
of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved Spouse" (6)
Ave Maria
NOTE: We respectfully recognize and accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See and the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judgment we humbly and obediently submit.
An Act of
Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
I, (your name), a
faithless sinner-- renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother,
the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps
and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to
carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to
Him than I have ever been before.
In the presence
of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day, for my Mother and Mistress. I
deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both
interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present
and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and
all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for
the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.
An Act of Consecration to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Merciful Jesus,
I consecrate myself today and always to Your most Sacred Heart. Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus I implore, that I may ever love You more and more. Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, I trust in You! Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Jesus, meek and humble of
heart, make my heart like Your Heart.
How To Save Your Children
During one of
the cenacles which Fr. Gobbi held in the United States, he was urged by many
concerned people to ask Our Lady specifically what could be done to save the
youth from the seductions of the world which were leading many of them astray
and causing them to leave the Church. Our Lady gave Fr. Gobbi this definite and
final solution to console the parents who are so concerned about the salvation
of their children:
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Pray the Rosary ! |
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Every time you pray the Rosary say: "With this Rosary I bind all my children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.". |
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In doing so, Our Lady promised "to see to their souls.". |
The Memorare
Remember, O most
gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your
protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To
you I come; before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word
Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Bibliography
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1. |
Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici, c/o Queenship Publishing, P.O. Box
42028, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-2028; USA. Tel 800-647-9882 |
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2. |
The Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by Rev.
Peter J. Arnoudt S.J., IMPRIMATUR; NIHIL OBSTAT; TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.; Rockford,
Illinois 61105 |
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|
3. |
To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons, by Fr.
Stefano Gobbi and The Marian Movement of Priests, National Headquarters USA,
P.O. Box 8, St. Francis Maine, USA 04774-0008; Tel: 207-398-3375; IMPRIMATUR:
Most Reverend Donald W. Montrose, D.D. Bishop of
Stockton February 2, 1998 |
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4. |
Redemptoris Mater, n.21;
H.H. John Paul II. |
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5. |
MARY Coredemptrix Mediatrix Advocate, Theological Foundations Towards a
Papal Definition? © 1995 Mark I. Miravalle;
NIHIL OBSTAT Father James Dunfee
Censor Librorum; IMPRIMATUR Most Reverend Gilbert
Sheldon Bishop of Steubenville March 7, 1995 |
|
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6. |
Our Mother Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate as contained in To the Priests, Our
Lady’s Beloved Sons and the Papal Magisterium , by Dr.
Mark Miravalle, S.T.D.;
published by the Marian Movement of Priests, USA. |
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7. |
Mary at the Dawn
of the New Millenium, by
Cardinal Avery Dulles. |
Recommended Reading
|
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The Dogma and the
Triumph By Dr. Mark Miravalle; Queenship Publishing, P.O. Box 42028, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-2028;
USA. Tel 800-647-9882 |
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Our Mother Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate
as contained in To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons and the Papal
Magisterium by Dr. Mark Miravalle, S.T.D.; published by the Marian Movement of Priests,
USA. |
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MARY Coredemptrix
Mediatrix Advocate, Theological Foundations Towards
a Papal Definition? © 1995 Mark I. Miravalle;
NIHIL OBSTAT Father James Dunfee
Censor Librorum; IMPRIMATUR: Most Reverend Gilbert
Sheldon Bishop of Steubenville March 7, 1995 |
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Mary At The Dawn Of The New Millennium, by Cardinal Avery Dulles |
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To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved
Sons By Fr. Stefano Gobbi; The Marian Movement of Priests, National
Headquarters USA, P.O. Box 8, St. Francis Maine, USA 04774-0008; Tel:
207-398-3375; IMPRIMATUR: Most Reverend Donald W. Montrose, D.D. Bishop of Stockton February 2, 1998 |
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Lumen Gentium, Dogmatic Constitution of
the Church Solemnly Promulgated By H.H. Pope Paul VI; November 21, 1964. |
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Redemptoris Mater, Encyclical
letter of the Supreme Pontiff, John Paul II, On the Blessed Virgin Mary In
the Life of the Pilgrim Church; March 25, 1987 |
Prepared with the grace of God by
Ben J. Verdina (edited
September, 2016)
abbacub2000@aol.com
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Also, read the following
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Iniquity With
Divine Retribution at the Dawn of the Era of Peace – A Summary Guide to the
Tribulation |
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After The Warning |
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Tribulation Update |
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Thank You For Having Responded To My Call |
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Sky Signs |
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Ben's Calling |
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The Statues of Our Lady Are Crying For Our Help |
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Prayers of Consecration & Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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Heaven and Earth Are Uniting – Fr. Gobbi |
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Ave Maria: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate |
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Supreme Authority of the Pope Until Death or Abdication |
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The Myth of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture |
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To Protect the Faith |
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Both Faith and Good Works Required |
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The Catechism and the "Term" Coredemptrix |
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Ecclesiastical Masonry: The Beast Like a Lamb |
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Tribulation Protection: The Blood of the Lamb |
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Scripture Alone? Is Half of the Story Sufficient? |
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Has Matthew 24:14 Been Realized? 'Definitely Yes' |
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To the Refuges on Wings of Eagles |
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Must the Reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem Precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? |
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The Abomination of Desolation |
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The Era of Peace |
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The Original
Prayer to St. Michael |
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Mary, Queen and Queen Mother |
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How to Identify the
Antichrist |
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The Whore of Babylon |
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The Mark of the Beast |
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Upon This Rock |
"I will put enmities between thee
and the woman,
and thy seed and her seed: she shall
crush thy head,
and thou shalt lie in wait for her
heel. "
(Genesis 3:15)
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