As a true son of St. Alphonsus I’m compelled to mention something about the recent publication of the Vatican about the title “co-redemptrix” that is traditionally given to Our Lady.
First of all, we need to mention that the issue was undoubtedly addressed to please the protestants and, looking just at the results (more confusion instead of clarification and the happiness expressed by many of those heretics as a theological victory over the papists), we can say that the legal principle “Cui bono” is a clear evidence of what I’m saying.
And talking about those protestants, it´s also important to repeat today what I always mention: Their problem is the confusion between what is “Redemption” and what is “Salvation”. Redemption is the particular action (the sacrifice of Christ in the cross) that marked in blood, as the lamb in the Old Testament, the doors of the kingdom of the Death to open them so those who were condemned to eternal death can now make their pass to life (Passover). This Redemption (ransom) restored the peace between God and mankind, but IT DOESEN’T STOP the capacity men have of choosing evil over good, which means that we have to cooperate with Christ for our personal SALVATION through concrete actions that bring us closer to God.
Having said that, it’s important to mention that in regard to the term “co-redemption” the saints talked about CO-OPERATION and never of OPERATION and, even when some saints called Our Lady “redeemer” it was always in an analogical sense, that is, as a cooperator of Her divine Son, by suffering His passion together with Her son and showing always the way to Him (being the Ὁδηγήτρια, that is, “She Who Shows the Way” as the Greeks call her). In between those two concepts there is a huge difference, which is even more evident in Latin, a language in which the prefix “co” implies a subordination. Now, if the languages post-French revolution corrupted the meaning, that’s another thing.
So, if some saints used to call Our Lady “Redeemer” for being the mother of the Redeemer, to called Her “Co-Redemptrix” is, in fact, a qualitative leap. It´s to make the concept more precise.
But well, after having made this brief introduction, I prefer today to let our beloved father St. Alphonsus guide us through the lines he left us in regard to this issue in his book “The Glories of Mary”, section II:
“ST. BERNARD says, that as a man and a woman have co-operated for our ruin, so it was fit that another man and another woman should co-operate for our restoration; and these were Jesus and His mother Mary. Doubtless, says the saint, Jesus Christ alone was all-sufficient for our redemption: yet it was more fitting that each sex should take part in our redemption, when both took part in our corruption. For this reason blessed Albertus Magnus calls Mary the co-operatrix with Christ in our redemption: “Adjutrix Redemptionis.” And she herself revealed to St. Bridget, that as Adam and Eve sold the world for one apple, so her Son and herself with one heart redeemed the world. God could, indeed, as St. Anselm asserts, create the world from nothing; but when it was lost by sin, he would not redeem it without the co-operation of Mary.
In three ways, says Father Suarez, the divine mother shared in the work of our salvation: first, by having merited, that is, with merit of congruity, the Incarnation of the Word (her “Fiat voluntas tua”). Secondly, by praying much for us while she lived on the earth. Thirdly, by willingly sacrificing to God the life of her Son for our salvation; and therefore the Lord has justly ordained that as Mary has, with so much love for man, aided in the salvation of all, and thereby so greatly promoted the glory of God, all through her intercession shall obtain salvation.
Mary is called the co-redemptrix with her Son in our justification, because God has committed to her keeping all the graces that he has destined for us. Wherefore St. Bernard affirms, that all men, past, present, and to come, should regard her as the medium and negotiator of the salvation of all ages.
Jesus Christ has said, that no one could find him unless his Eternal Father drew him by his divine grace. Thus, also, according to Richard of Saint-Laurent, Jesus said of his mother: No one comes to me unless my mother draw him with her prayers.
Jesus was the fruit of Mary, as Elizabeth expressed it: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb”. Whoever, then, wishes for the fruit, must go to the tree; whoever wishes for Jesus must go to Mary; and he who finds Mary, certainly also finds Jesus. St. Elizabeth, when the most holy Virgin came to visit her in her house, not knowing how to thank her, in deep humility exclaimed: “How have I merited that the mother of my God should come to visit me?” But why! we may ask: did not Elizabeth already know that not Mary only, but Jesus also, had entered her dwelling? And why, then, does she call herself unworthy to receive the mother, and not rather unworthy of receiving a visit from the Son. Ah, well did the saint understand that when Mary comes she brings Jesus also; and hence it was sufficient for her to thank the mother, without naming the Son.
Finally, why the holy Church requires us to invoke and salute the divine mother with the great title of “our hope”: Hail our hope, “Spes nostra salve.” The impious Luther could not endure that the holy Roman Church should call Mary, our hope; because, as he said, God only and Jesus Christ as our mediator are our hope; but that God curses those who place their hope in any creature, as we find in Jeremias: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” But the Church teaches us everywhere to invoke Mary, and call her our hope: “Spes nostra salve.” Whoever places his hope in a creature, independently of God, is certainly accursed of God, since God is the only fountain and the dispenser of every good, and the creature, without God, has nothing and can do nothing. But if the Lord has ordained, as we have proved, that all graces shall pass through Mary, as a channel of mercy, we can, and ought even to assert that Mary is our hope, by whose intercession we receive divine graces, and therefore it is St. Bernard called her the whole cause of his hope. St. John of Damascus expresses the same thing when, addressing the blessed Virgin, he says to her: Oh Lady, in thee I have placed all my hope, and with firm confidence I look to thee for my salvation, St. Thomas says that Mary is all the hope of our salvation. St. Ephrem explains: Oh most holy Virgin, receive us under thy protection, if thou wilt see us saved, since we have no other hope of being saved but through thee.
PRAYER.
Oh Queen and Mother of mercy! who dost dispense graces to all those who have recourse to thee, so liberally because thou art queen, and with so much love because thou art our most loving mother; to thee I commend myself today, destitute of merits and virtues as I am, and laden with debts to the divine justice. Oh Mary, thou hast the keys of all the divine mercies, do not forget my miseries, and do not leave me in my great poverty. Thou who art so liberal with all, and who givest more than is asked of thee, do so with me, Oh Lady, protect me, this is all I ask. If thou dost protect me I fear nothing. I do not fear the demons, for thou art more powerful than all the spirits of hell; nor my sins, for one word of thine in my behalf can obtain pardon of them all from God. If I have thy favor I do not fear even the anger of God, for He is appeased by one prayer of thine. In a word, if thou dost protect me I hope all things, because all things are possible with thee. Oh mother of mercy, I know that thou takest pleasure and pride in giving succor to the most miserable, for thou canst aid them, if not prevented by their obstinacy. I am a sinner, but I am not obstinate; I wish to change my life. Thou canst, then, help me; do help and save me. Today I place myself entirely in thy hands. Teach me what I must do to please God, and I will do it; and I hope to do so with thy aid, oh Mary, Mary, my mother, my light, my consolation, my refuge, and my hope. Amen.
