Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate in the Contemporary Roman Liturgy

The linking of Mary's patronage with her spiritual maternity is even clearer in the Prayer after Communion of the Mass of Our Lady of Ransom (Beata Maria Virgo de Mercede):

Thus Mary is the advocate or patroness of those who "have received the sacrament of redemption" precisely because she is their mother. As mother, she ever intercedes for them and looks after them.

Finally, in the Preface of the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick (Beatæ Mariæ Virginis, Salus Infirmorum) Mary is indicated as being a special patron of the sick because of her own share in the mystery of suffering:

In this graceful way Mary's patronage is linked with her role as Coredemptrix, her unique participation in the mystery of redemptive suffering.

Conclusion

It should be apparent by now that the themes of Our Lady's Coredemption, Mediation and Advocacy are abundantly represented in the Mass formularies of the present Roman Liturgy, especially in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have not touched the Liturgy of the Hours, nor have I considered the readings available in the Lectionary of Paul VI or in the Collection. In fact, it cannot be said that this study has exhausted all the instances in which these themes occur, even in the liturgical books to which I have limited myself. I do believe, however, that I have provided sufficient examples to demonstrate that a case is not being built on one or two debatable texts, but on a truly ample documentation.

A. Summary

We have examined at some length how the euchological texts present Mary's collaboration in the redemption in various ways such as the associate of Christ (socia Christi), the new Eve (nova Eva), totally devoted to the person and work of her Son, a sharer in the sufferings of her Son, the one who presents her Son to the Father and the one who unites her sacrifice to that of her Son. We have then studied the liturgical treatment of Mary as "minister of grace" (ministra gratiæ, ministra pietatis and other cognate forms) which indicate that Mary truly exercises an office of mediating and distributing the grace of the redemption. Finally we have considered some ways in which the present orations of the Roman liturgy present Mary as advocate for the people of God: advocate of grace (advocata gratiæ), intercessor, protection (præsidium), Reconciler of sinners, help of Christians and patroness (patrona).

It is obvious that the liturgy does not present these themes in airtight compartments and we have often seen how the various topics which we have investigated are so interwoven that they cannot be neatly separated one from the other. I would now like to present two Prefaces which unite in themselves, in a marvelously lapidary way, the three topics which we have been considering, i.e., Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate. Each one consolidates the doctrines which we have been examining from its own unique thematic perspective.

The first of these Prefaces is that of the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Mediatrix of Grace (Beata Maria Virgo, Mater et Mediatrix Gratiæ), which we have already looked at under the topic of Mary's mediation of grace. So doctrinally rich is this composition that a second examination will not be out of place.

I have already proposed above my own literal translation of a part of this splendid composition in order to highlight Mary's maternal mission as "minister of grace." Here I should like to underscore the fact that Mary is also referred to as the "companion of the Redeemer" (Redemptoris socia), thus establishing the basis of her maternal and mediatorial mission (munus maternum): of intercession and pardon, of prayer and grace, of reconciliation and peace (intercessionis et veniæ, impetrationis et gratiæ, reconciliationis et pacis) and her role as "minister of grace" (gratiæ ministra). Mary's advocacy is sensitively sketched thus: "Her children, in their trials and fears, turn with confidence to the Blessed Virgin, calling to her as mother of mercy." One familiar with the Latin text of the Sub tuum præsidium will notice a subtle allusion to that prayer in the words periculis and confugiunt.

The second Preface which I would like to indicate as tying all of the themes together is that of the Mass of Our Lady of Ransom (Beata Maria Virgo de Mercede):

I have already considered portions of this superb composition under the topics of 1. Associate of the Redeemer, 2. totally devoted to the work of her Son and 3. "minister of the redemption" (redemptionis ministra). Now let us simply observe how the theme of coredemption is developed by describing Mary as "joined closely to her Son in the work of redemption" and as his "faithful companion in his passion" (fidelis socia passionis); how that of mediation is attested to by the reference to Mary as "minister of redemption" (redemptionis ministra) and that of Advocate is witnessed to not only by the word advocata but also by the description of how she cares for all of her children with a mother's love. The use of the word necessitate may also be seen as alluding to the Sub tuum præsidium. Both of these texts, it seems to me, are not only magnificent prayers, but remarkable formulations of Our Lady's mediatorial office, first on earth, then in heaven.

B. Specific Conclusions

1. Consolidation of Doctrine. In his foreword to Præcelsa Filia Sion Cardinal Virgilio Noè states that

These words of Cardinal Noè aptly express my own conviction as I bring this study to a close. How striking that the times in which we live—with all of the counter signs and confusion and with the "Marian eclipse" which followed immediately upon the Council—should constitute a privileged moment for "the deepening of theological, spiritual, liturgical and pastoral understanding of (Mary's) role in the economy of salvation"! This is surely not merely man's doing; it seems to be a sovereign manifestation of God's will.

Another entire study would be required to speak authoritatively about the Marian Mass formularies found in the editions of the Roman Missal prior to that promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 (including those in the Propers of Saints for Certain Places), but I believe that this almost casual remark of Father Joncas about the past and present prayer formulas for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is highly significant: "It may be instructive to compare the two orations to show the shift from devotional to mystagogical prayer on this feast." (226) I would simply add to this an acknowledgement that the conciliar emphasis on placing Our Lady in the context of salvation history has had a very salutary effect in the composition of these new Masses.

In this particular matter the words of Paul VI in Signum Magnum, which I cited at the beginning of this investigation, have proven prophetic:

As I previously noted, the Pope was citing the principle lex orandi, lex credendi here from the perspective of the faith of the Church establishing the law of prayer.

What I find particularly remarkable in this regard is that, even though the conciliar treatment of Mary's mediation was deliberately minimalistic, the term Coredemptrix was not mentioned and Our Lady's advocacy was presented from a somewhat apologetic perspective without notable development, nonetheless the doctrine which these Masses consolidate corresponds to some of the highest points reached by the papal magisterium on Our Lady. I believe that this is a matter to note well because since the Council there has been silence on many fronts about already well-established Marian truths with the tacit or even explicit understanding that it is no longer appropriate to speak about them since the Council did not do so. This is a clear misreading of the intent of chapter eight of Lumen Gentium whose prologue concludes thus:

Hence, while we cannot say that the Mass formularies which we have considered represent a "development of doctrine" in the strict sense, we can say that, from the doctrinal side, they provide an extremely valuable testimony to the Church's faith and perform a genuine work of consolidation. In this sense I pray that the study of these texts and—even more—their use in worship will help to dispel a lingering confusion in some quarters regarding the magnitude and scope of Mary's mission in the life of Christ and of the Church.