.THE REDEMPTION AND MARY
CO-REDEMPTRIX
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ is the Co-redemptrix, meaning that Mary uniquely cooperated with Jesus and is entirely subordinate to and dependent upon Jesus, in the historic work of Redemption. Lets define our terms. What is Redemption? Redemption is the saving act of Jesus Christ, through his life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, repairing our relationship with the Father by offering just compensation for the sins of humanity, and thus restoring the possibility of sanctifying grace, and friendship between God and humanity, which results in the inheritance of heaven.
The term, redemption derives
from the Latin redimere and literally means to buy back. Jesus,
through the merits of His Passion, death, and Resurrection buys us back
from the bondage of Satan and the debt of original sin. It is
important to remember that the Redemption of Jesus Christ is an act of
restoring what was lost by two human beings, Adam and Eve. Although
Adam, as father of the human race, was principally responsible for the
original sin passed on to his descendants (cf. Rom 5:12), Eve also has
an instrumental though secondary role in the loss of grace for the human
family (cf. Gen 3:6). This is why the Fathers of the Church referred to
Mary as the New Eve or Second Eve, since through her obedience with
Jesus Christ, the New Adam (cf. 1 Cor 15:45), she became, in the
words of the second century Church Father, St. Irenaeus, the cause of
salvation for herself and the whole human race (Adversus Haereses III,
22, 4: PG 7, 989 A).
In fact, does not the Bible reveal that the
Mother of Jesus cooperated in the historic act of Jesus Redemption like
no other creature? At the Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:38), when Mary says
yes to the angel Gabriel to become the Mother of Jesus, can we not say
that she uniquely contributes to the mission of Redemption by giving to
the Redeemer the very instrument of Redemptionhis human body? Saint
Paul tells us (cf. Hebrews 10:10) that we are sanctified by the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. The instrument of
Redemption was given personally and intimately to the Redeemer by Mary.
What other creature, in virtue of the Incarnation alone, could claim to
have a more direct and proximate cooperation with Jesus in his
redemptive mission? But it does not stop there.
When the infant Christ is presented by Mary in the Temple and the prophet Simeon identifies Jesus as the sign of contradiction who will fulfill his redemptive mission (cf. Lk 2:25-35), Simeon then refers through the power of the Holy Spirit to Marys own unique suffering with Jesus in the work of Redemption: and a sword shall pierce through your own soul, too (cf. Lk 2:35). Scripture explicitly reveals that Mary will have a unique role of suffering with Jesusthe piercing of her Heartbecause she is so closely and uniquely a cooperator with the Redeemer. What mother would not suffer in seeing her beloved child die horrifically on the cross, especially if her child was a divine, innocent offering sacrificed for the redemption of the world?
Ultimately,
the climactic hour of human Redemption takes place at Calvary (cf. Jn
19). What happens at Calvary? Jesus is crucified, dies and offers his
life in just compensation for the sins of humanity. Mary, Scripture
testifies, is present, for the fulfillment of the self-same mission of
Redemption. What is happening in the Heart of Mary? She is faithfully
offering the suffering of her Son, joined with her own, in obedience to
the Fathers plan for Redemption. As a result of her unparalleled
suffering with the Redeemer, the dying Christ gives, as his final gift
to the beloved disciple, John, and to all who seek to be beloved
disciples of Christ, the gift of his Coredemptive Mother to be our own:
Woman, behold your son
Behold, your mother (cf. Jn 19:26-27).
When the infant Christ is presented by Mary in the Temple and the prophet Simeon identifies Jesus as the sign of contradiction who will fulfill his redemptive mission (cf. Lk 2:25-35), Simeon then refers through the power of the Holy Spirit to Marys own unique suffering with Jesus in the work of Redemption: and a sword shall pierce through your own soul, too (cf. Lk 2:35). Scripture explicitly reveals that Mary will have a unique role of suffering with Jesusthe piercing of her Heartbecause she is so closely and uniquely a cooperator with the Redeemer. What mother would not suffer in seeing her beloved child die horrifically on the cross, especially if her child was a divine, innocent offering sacrificed for the redemption of the world?
Regarding
both the Incarnation and the Redemption, the Bible reveals that Mary
uniquely cooperated with Jesus in the historic work of Redemption. It is
little wonder that, as a result of her unparalleled sharing in the
obtaining of the graces of Redemption, God would see fit to grant the
Mother of the Redeemer the privileged role of the distribution of the
graces of Redemption as the spiritual Mother of all peoples (cf. Lk
1:38; Jn 2:1-10; Jn 19:25-27; Rev 12:1). Crucified spiritually with her
crucified Son
Marys role as Co-Redemptrix did not cease with the
glorification of her Son Pope John Paul II (cf. Homily, Jan. 31,
1985).
Sara Giudizi
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