Mary, Mother of Our Redeemer

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins." — Matthew i. 21

The titles on which Mary claims our respect and gratitude are so many, that it is only by considering them separately, we can form to ourselves adequate ideas, or correct notions, of them. If she challenges all our veneration, on account of the supereminent dignity as Mother of God, she is entitled to all our gratitude as Mother of our Redeemer. As Eve was the cause of the ruin of the human race, because although her own transgression would not have involved us in her guilt and its consequent punishment, yet she was the occasion of the fall of Adam, who was seduced by her example and solicitation; so Mary is properly styled by the holy fathers, “the cause of our salvation,” because although of herself she could not have reconciled us with God, yet in giving us Jesus Christ, she has afforded us a Redeemer, who is "a propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but for those of the whole world." St Irenaeus, who lived in the second century of the church, says: "As Eve, by disobeying, became for herself and the whole human race the cause of ruin, so Mary, by obeying, became the cause of salvation to herself and the whole human race." (S. Iren: lib. iii. c. xxxiii) "Eve," says St. Augustin, "was the cause of death to man, for by her death entered into the world; but Mary is the cause of life, by whom life was born to us, and by whom the Son of God came into the world; that where sin had abounded there grace should abound, and whence death originated thence life might proceed; and that He who was made life for us by a woman, should overcome the death brought on by a woman." St Jerome expressed the same thought in fewer words: "Death came by Eve; life by Mary."

What a momentous mission was that on which the archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary, when he announced to her that she should conceive and bear a son, who was to be called Jesus, because he was to "save his people from their sins."

On the assent of the Virgin to the proposition made her, hung the destinies of the human race. How the angels of God must have paused in breathless expectation of her answer! and when they heard issue from her mouth the words: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done unto me according to thy word;" how the vaults of heaven resounded with the glorious anthem of “Glory to God on high and peace to men of good will” which, on the night of Christ's nativity, re-echoed from the earth! What would have been our condition if Mary had not yielded this ready compliance with God's will? We have every reason to conclude, that man would not have been redeemed. God could, of course, have employed other means; but there is nothing to make us believe that he would have done so. On the contrary, all that we know of the ordinary course of his providence, tends to warrant the contrary inference. He has established an admirable order of dependence between the different members of the human family: the vices or virtues, of the parent have a serious effect on the morality of his offspring; and no man can wander from the path of duty, or walk steadily in it, without exercising a favourable or unfavourable influence on others. Mary then merits all our gratitude, for having fulfilled the glorious designs which God had on her. St. Bernard, addressing her, says: "By means of thee has heaven been opened and hell closed, the heavenly Jerusalem restored, and life given to those who expected death." We cannot have a due conviction of the benefit of the redemption which Christ has effected for us, and not have a deep sense of our obligations to her, who was so mysteriously instrumental of procuring them.

If Mary had so great a part in our redemption, we may easily conceive that she will be most zealous for the application of its benefit to our souls. We cannot employ a surer means of being purified in the blood of her Son, than by frequent recourse to her: she knows the value of the gift we seek, and our inevitable ruin unless we obtain it. "Mary," says Venerable Bede, "stands in the presence of her Son, and never ceases to intercede for sinners." (Beda in Cap. 1. Lucae.) She knows our misery: she feels every wound we inflict on Jesus Christ by our transgressions: she compassionates our unhappy lot, if we fail to profit by the plentiful redemption she has procured for us through Jesus Christ. Hence she is styled by St Ephrem, "the conciliatrix of the world." Hence St Basil asserts, that God has ordained that she should assist us in every thing. (1) And is it not reasonable, that she who had so mysterious a part in the accomplishment of man's redemption, should have the most extensive influence in the application of its merits to our souls? Let us, then, ever accompany our meditation on our redemption through Christ, and our petitions to be washed in His blood, with corresponding gratitude to Mary, and unlimited confidence in her intercession. Let us address her in the language of St. Ephrem: "Hail, hope of the soul, firm confidence of Christians, advocate of sinners, bulwark of the faithful, and cause of the world's salvation!"

EXAMPLE

On Sunday, the 3d of September, 1837, a captain of the French army, about forty-four years old, was passing by the church of Notre Dame des Victoires, in Paris, at half-past seven in the evening. He entered through curiosity, and went up to the altar dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Mary. The preacher in speaking of St. Augustin, whose festival was then celebrated, had occasion to mention Africa and Rome: and the officer, who had served in the Italian campaign, and had just returned from Algiers, remembered the names of many places which he had seen, or in the neighbourhood of which he had been. This made him take an interest in the discourse, and remain till it was over. At the end of the service, the priest bade the "association of the Heart of Mary," pray for the conversion of whoever among those present stood most in need of it The captain felt that he was the one whom this designation best suited; he was much moved, and fell on his knees to pray. On the following day he visited the director of the association, and gave him an exact account of what had occurred the preceding evening. "What particularly struck me," said he, "was that St. Augustin, when he was converted, prepared himself to receive baptism by retiring to Cassi. I know Cassi, it is a village, almost entirely consisting of taverns, near Milan. I have often gone there to danc and amuse myself. What a contrast! said I to myself: St, Augustin went there to do penance, and I to indulge my passions. I am not yet a Christian, I have not been baptized." Such was really the case, owing to the indifference of his father. He now felt a strong desire to imitate the repentance of St. Augustin, and expressed a wish to receive holy baptism. He prepared for it with great fervour; and, in a few days, received it, as also the sacraments of confirmation and the eucharist. His heart was overflowing with gratitude to his divine Saviour and his holy Mother, and he resolved to practise the duties of his religion, and show himself to be a practical Catholic during the rest of his life. (2)

PRAYER

O most holy Mother of our Redeemer, what a deep gratitude do Christians owe thee for thy instrumentality in our redemption! In giving us Jesus Christ, thou hast given us a Redeemer who is flesh of thy flesh—over whom, as mother, thou hadst dominion—but whom thou didst willingly deliver up for our salvation. Yes, holy Mother, if we owe all to Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us, to thee we owe Jesus himself; as it was thy obedience to God's will that caused the designs of His ineffable mercy to be accomplished. O thrice happy Virgin, thou dost dispense thy favours with liberality and love. I recommend myself to thee; and as thou hast the dispensation of the inexhaustible treasures of God's grace by thy influence with Jesus, impart them to me, with a liberality corresponding to my great necessities. Suffer not a soul to be lost for which Christ died. Through thy intercession may I experience the application of His saving merits on earth, and, through them, attain the eternal happiness, which he has purchased for me by His blood. Amen.

PRACTICE

Be exact in saying the Angelus at morning, noon, and night, in commemoration of, and thanksgiving for, the benefit of redemption.

ASPIRATION

Heart of Mary, compassionate the obduracy of my heart!

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Notes:

(1) S. Basil da annuntiatione Beata Virginia

(2) Manuel d'instructionf et prieres. Paris, 1839