To me, and I mean no offence here, it seems to be like…the trinity plus one
No. It’s actually more like the fullfillment of Trinitarian symbolism in the redemption. Not that she is a member of the Trinity, but that she (as the perfect Icon of the Spirit) takes sort of the “third place” in the flow of the merit and grace of redemption down to us.
Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. This idea , okay I am going to say it, seems to be heresy.
And the Jews found it scandalous to say that any man could mediate grace, forgiveness, and redemption. To them, having this “Jesus” through whom the grace of the God flowed, was scandalous.
You, finding it scandalous to believe that there is any woman through whom the grace of Jesus then flowed…is similar.
The power to redeem is given by God to the human nature of Christ in the Hypostatic Union (Christ redeemed as Man too, remember, not only as God). But certainly the human nature of Christ is subordinate to the divine…because the divine could redeem without the human, but the human could not without the divine. Then Jesus enabled Mary to cooperate in the redemption, and through her it comes to us. But Mary’s role is certainly subordinate, as Jesus could have redeemed without her, but she could not have redeemed without him.
However, that is all the “internal” mechanics of the act (how the redemptive powers and grace and potential flowed through the various parties involved). “Externally” it is one act which cannot be seperated by person like that. Sort of like in the Trinity.
Essentially it means that Mary, like ALL Christians, can and did unite her sufferings with the sufferings of Christ. The Church teaches that ANY Christian who does that has their sufferings become redemptive, both for themselves and for the world.
No. The teaching is that Mary participated in a unique and singular way. Not merely a difference of degree, but a difference in the nature of the participation. Only Mary got an Immaculate Conception, remember, only she got to be Mother of God.
In the Trinity, the substance is communicated from the Father to the Son, and from the Father and Son to the Holy Spirit, and then from there to all creation. But creation, while it can participate in the divine life…is not participating in the same way as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Well, in the redemption…the power and grace of merit is communicated from God to Christ, and then from God and Christ to Mary…and then from there, comes to the rest of us. It’s a trinitarian symbolism. We can participate in redemption, but not in the same way as they did.
It’s a trinitarian analogy. Divinity flows from Father to Son, then through the Son to the Holy Spirit, and then together they create the world. And yet, in some sense, the Son is “subordinate” (though co-equal [because consubstantial] to) the Father because the Son depends on the Father for his substance but the Father doesnt depend on the Son. Likewise with the Holy Spirit towards the Father and Son. And yet, that is God’s internal life. Externally, as regards the creation of everything else, they are all one God and all the One Principal of creation.
Well, similarly, redemption flows from God to Christ, then through Christ to Mary, and then together they redeem the world. And yet in some sense, Jesus as man is subordinate to God (though they are one Person) because Christ depends on God for his power to redeem as man, but God doesnt depend on Christ to be able to redeem. Likewise, Mary depends on God and Christ for her meritability, but they don’t depend on her. And yet, that is all the internal relationships in the act of redemption. Externally, as regards external people, they basically form one principal of redemption.
Sometimes, people will accept this trinitarian symbolism but still be uncomfortable with Mary being the third terminus. But if we just remember that Mary is the perfect “Icon of the Spirit” (St. Maximilian Kolbe went as far as to call this perfect indwelling a “quasi-incarnation,” ie, the closest possible relationship outside that of shared Substance in the Trinity, and that of shared Person in the hypostatic union of Christ) and that Mary is basically symbolically interchangeable with “Israel” and “the Church” as the perfect Type and pseudo-“embodiment” of those…it makes more sense.
If there seems to be a contradiction or ‘problem’ then its my own fault of not understanding properly.