Mary as Co-Redeemer
Talking of Mary as the Co-Redeemer has no difficulty for me, nor should it have for any other Catholic. We have seen in my last blog how Mary was specially chosen by God, indeed at the moment of her birth she was given all the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the role of being the Mother of Jesus. Now perhaps God the Father could have chosen another way to save mankind from sin, but he did not, he created a human being, a woman, and gave her a very special role, to nurture and care for the spiritual and human well being of His Son. She was someone who was specifically created to look after him as a child and an adult, and to be with him until his task was done. Did God the Father depend on her. He most certainly did. She could have freely turned down the deal she was given by Gabriel, for she was born with free will like others, but no, "Let it be done unto me according to thy word" Now suppose she had said "No Thanks" All those plans He had made, all those prophecies of the Old Testament, would have gone into the garbage can. God was dependent on Mary. God was dependent on a human being.
But there is so much more. It was the rebellion of the first human being Eve who had brought the world into sin. Now it was fitting, even if not really needed, that God would employ a human being in the great act of Redemption. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son....." "So loved the World". Just look at the greed and selfishness. The poverty in so many countries, the destruction of the family by sexual promiscuity, the killing of unborn babies because they are convenient, leading on to violence in the home as more and more couples live as sex partners with no other commitment. Yet God loves us, for he sees only the good in us, which comes out at moments of crisis, caring for the poor, the hungry, and help for those in trouble. He is besotted by us, and of course that He should make a human part of His plan for Redemption from the evil part of our nature, is really a miracle of Love. That is why the Early Church called her the New Eve, and Revelations 12 describe her as a Queen wearing a Crown of 12 stars, clothed with the Sun, and with the moon at her feet. And the great Dragon, the devil tries to kill her child at birth, but she is under the protection of Heaven. But as the last verse says the devil then pursued her other children who were following her Son Jesus. Christians.
That one of us humans should be so loved by God that He used her in His plan of Salvation should make us fall on our knees in gratitude before Him, instead of groaning and muttering that God would not do such a thing, without even answering the question "Why Not?"
But of course I am not saying that Mary had any power to save the word on her own. She was just a woman. Someone once said that to me in a derisory tone. I replied "Yes she was, but what a woman" She was invited by God to help Him in His work of Salvation. Without her help this would never have got off the ground. Yes, it was a small role when compared to the suffering and death of Jesus, but she co-operated with God in our Salvation because He needed her. So we rightly say she is a co-redeemer. This is not myth nor superstition, but fact.
But there is so much more. It was the rebellion of the first human being Eve who had brought the world into sin. Now it was fitting, even if not really needed, that God would employ a human being in the great act of Redemption. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son....." "So loved the World". Just look at the greed and selfishness. The poverty in so many countries, the destruction of the family by sexual promiscuity, the killing of unborn babies because they are convenient, leading on to violence in the home as more and more couples live as sex partners with no other commitment. Yet God loves us, for he sees only the good in us, which comes out at moments of crisis, caring for the poor, the hungry, and help for those in trouble. He is besotted by us, and of course that He should make a human part of His plan for Redemption from the evil part of our nature, is really a miracle of Love. That is why the Early Church called her the New Eve, and Revelations 12 describe her as a Queen wearing a Crown of 12 stars, clothed with the Sun, and with the moon at her feet. And the great Dragon, the devil tries to kill her child at birth, but she is under the protection of Heaven. But as the last verse says the devil then pursued her other children who were following her Son Jesus. Christians.
That one of us humans should be so loved by God that He used her in His plan of Salvation should make us fall on our knees in gratitude before Him, instead of groaning and muttering that God would not do such a thing, without even answering the question "Why Not?"
But of course I am not saying that Mary had any power to save the word on her own. She was just a woman. Someone once said that to me in a derisory tone. I replied "Yes she was, but what a woman" She was invited by God to help Him in His work of Salvation. Without her help this would never have got off the ground. Yes, it was a small role when compared to the suffering and death of Jesus, but she co-operated with God in our Salvation because He needed her. So we rightly say she is a co-redeemer. This is not myth nor superstition, but fact.
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