Mary as Mediatrix? The Big "Yes"

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I am learning a lot about Mary and I have no problem that she played an important part in the salvation history.

For some reason I feel as though that if Salvation and redemption was all dependant on Mary saying “yes” (excluding Jesus work on the cross), wasn’t that a bit of a gamble on God’s part?

Is it really possible that God would have chosen her knowing that she would say “no”? And that this would have lead to us not having the possibility of salvation? (this is the part thats doing my head in). Or did God make her and prepare her to say yes from before she was born? (then the confusing part is where was the free will in the choice).

Thanks in advanced for your answers
 
james_neville said:
I am learning a lot about Mary and I have no problem that she played an important part in the salvation history.

For some reason I feel as though that if Salvation and redemption was all dependant on Mary saying “yes” (excluding Jesus work on the cross), wasn’t that a bit of a gamble on God’s part?

Is it really possible that God would have chosen her knowing that she would say “no”? And that this would have lead to us not having the possibility of salvation? (this is the part thats doing my head in). Or did God make her and prepare her to say yes from before she was born? (then the confusing part is where was the free will in the choice).

Thanks in advanced for your answers
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Yes, it is the teaching of the Church that God prepared her for this task from the moment she was conceived. This does not interfere with free choice. Adam and eve were created with free choice, and chose to disobey God. Mary was prepared in the same way as Eve, without the inclination toward sin, but she chose obedience. Of course God foreknew this.

You are right that God could have prepared salvation for us any way He chose. He could have had His son appear suddenly on earth full grown, if He wanted. It was His decision to use the body of a woman, the New Eve, mother of all the living.
 
I do not like this word “Mediatrix” as it comes too close to the word “mediator” which should only be used in conjunction with Christ, who is our only mediator before God… I wish the Church would refrain from using it.
 
Adonia said:
I do not like this word “Mediatrix” as it comes too close to the word “mediator” which should only be used in conjunction with Christ, who is our only mediator before God… I wish the Church would refrain from using it.
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Wedding feast at Cana… She acted as a mediator here.
 
teeboy said:
Wedding feast at Cana… She acted as a mediator here.
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Very well. I still don’t like the word “Mediatrix”. It seems to me to suggest something more for the Blessed Mother than what she really is.
 
james_neville said:
I am learning a lot about Mary and I have no problem that she played an important part in the salvation history.

For some reason I feel as though that if Salvation and redemption was all dependant on Mary saying “yes” (excluding Jesus work on the cross), wasn’t that a bit of a gamble on God’s part?

Is it really possible that God would have chosen her knowing that she would say “no”? And that this would have lead to us not having the possibility of salvation? (this is the part thats doing my head in). Or did God make her and prepare her to say yes from before she was born? (then the confusing part is where was the free will in the choice).

Thanks in advanced for your answers
Click to expand...
“Christ redeemed us, but it is in God’s plan that the application to individual souls of the Redemption Christ won should be by fellow members of the race; that we are not meant to be only recipients of redemption, still less spectators and no more; we are all called to be stewards in the dispensing of graces. The principal ways for every one of us are love, prayer, suffering.”

“None of these things would be of any effect if Christ had not died for us; but in union with his redemptive act they are of immense power. From the beginning of the Christian Church, their effect is taken for granted. Thus St. Paul can tell his converts to pray for others precisely because there is one Mediator between God and man(ITim 2:5). In other words the fact that Our Lord is Mediator does not make our prayer for one another unnecessary; it makes it effective.”

“Everyone’s prayers can help others, but the holier, the more. With Christ and in Christ we are all called upon to take a part in redeeming others. All are meant to take a part in his redeeming works, but Mary above all; for she was sinless, she was wholly love, she suffered supremely.”

“…she is the first steward in the dispensing of graces.”

Theology for Beginners by E.F. Sheed P 132

For futher study on Mary mediatrix of all graces, refer to the following site:
tldm.org/news5/mediatrix1.htm
 
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