Mary saints and grace

[Oumashta]

I don’t know if this is the right place to put it but… Here is goes.

I know that we will often ask saints for their intercession. We will also ask them to obtain grace for us. Though I was thinking one day how it worked.

1. Do saints pray to God on our behalf and ask Him to give us the grace we ask, or do they ask God on out behalf for this grace then the saints give it to us?
2. Are saints channels of grace? Are the saints/angels mediatrixes or are they involved in the mediation of grace?
3. I have nothing against the BVM and I love her as my mother. Though, could someone explain to me a popular title “Mediatrix of all graces”? Does that include channeling the grace from the Sacraments and the application of sanctifying grace to a soul? Is that kind of too much though to call her the mediatrix of ALL graces? It is a dogma that must be held by all Catholics?
4. Does the Blessed Mother give is grace, ask God on our behalf for grace, or channels the grace from God to us?

Thanks all for your help! It would really help me to understand the whole process of it all!
God bless.

 

[fermat]

1. Do saints pray to God on our behalf and ask Him to give us the grace we ask, or do they ask God on out behalf for this grace then the saints give it to us?

The former. All things come from the loving hand of God. The saints in isolation do not have the power to bestow grace. But the saints as part of the body of Christ, intercede on our behalf and God hears those prayers and God takes action.

1. Are saints channels of grace? Are the saints/angels mediatrixes or are they involved in the mediation of grace?

In my personal opinion, I think we all play a part as mediators for Christ Jesus. If I pray for you, I am mediating between you and the Lord, just as the angels and saints do. The only difference is that I am not perfectly united to Christ as they are.

1. I have nothing against the BVM and I love her as my mother. Though, could someone explain to me a popular title “Mediatrix of all graces”? Does that include channeling the grace from the Sacraments and the application of sanctifying grace to a soul? Is that kind of too much though to call her the mediatrix of ALL graces? It is a dogma that must be held by all Catholics?

The only part I am comfortable answering is the last part. No, this is not a dogma. It may become a dogma at some point, but for now, it is still in development.

I am still working to understand the Mediatrix of Mary. I believe she plays a large role in my life in this regard, but I am still working towards understanding it.

1. Does the Blessed Mother give is grace, ask God on our behalf for grace, or channels the grace from God to us?

Thanks all for your help! It would really help me to understand the whole process of it all!
God bless.

All grace comes from God. I don’t believe she channels anything, but I could be wrong on that point. (I have never really thought about the logistics of grace. I’ll be curious to see what others post).

Welcome aboard!

 

[Oumashta]

The former. All things come from the loving hand of God. The saints in isolation do not have the power to bestow grace. But the saints as part of the body of Christ, intercede on our behalf and God hears those prayers and God takes action.

In my personal opinion, I think we all play a part as mediators for Christ Jesus. If I pray for you, I am mediating between you and the Lord, just as the angels and saints do. The only difference is that I am not perfectly united to Christ as they are.

The only part I am comfortable answering is the last part. No, this is not a dogma. It may become a dogma at some point, but for now, it is still in development.

I am still working to understand the Mediatrix of Mary. I believe she plays a large role in my life in this regard, but I am still working towards understanding it.

All grace comes from God. I don’t believe she channels anything, but I could be wrong on that point. (I have never really thought about the logistics of grace. I’ll be curious to see what others post).

Welcome aboard!

Ohh… But is it ok to ask a saint to obtain grace for us? Like “Dear St. Joseph, please obtain for me this grace from Our Lord.” So it would not be ok for me to say “St. Joseph please give me your grace, virtue, purity, etc…?” Sorry I’m not really clear on a lot of this stuff

I’ve been trying to understand more of her mediation too. I don’t know if she channels, bestows, or asks for grace… I hear many say that she is the Mediatrix of all graces, though that kind of makes me wonder about grace from the Sacraments, prayer, sanctifying grace, etc…

 

[MarcoPolo]

If I remember right from my Mariology class, Mary as Mediatrix (and also ad Advocate) is rooted in God’s providence to deliver His Son to the world through her. See this chart:



You see how in this chart, Jesus’ unique mediation remains inviolate because only Jesus is fully God and fully man, opening up to both domains. The Son comes to the world through Mary who many ECFs believe is the gate prophesied in Ezekiel 44:2. Therefore going to Mary to get Jesus is to honor the sovereignty of God. And in the same way, one could say “Mary, obtain for me the grace to do XYZ.” You are asking her, as the mother of the King, to intercede. In a certain sense, Mary delivering Jesus to the world was not just confined to a moment in time. She ever gives her Son to the world in God’s economy.

The theology is much deeper than that, but that’s a very basic idea. You might want to check out St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary for a longer treatment on this. You can read it online here.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Also, check out this page for articles (many written by my Mariology professor Dr. Mark Miravalle).

 

[fermat]

Yes, it is ok to ask the saints to help us obtain grace. Grace is a free gift and it never hurts to ask for it. And it never hurts to have others ask for it on our behalf.