What Graces are we supposed to ask Mary for?

[friardchips]

The question revolves around the title “Mediatrix of ALL grace”

Although the Church HAS given the BVM the Title of Mediatrix of grace. I don’t believe it has done so for Mediatrix of ALL grace.

My own opinion is that it presents no difficulty whatsoever with any Church doctrines.

David has said that the BVM is just a saint like any other. But I think we all know that is not true. The Liturgical Feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption attest to that.

Considering that ‘Mediatrix’ has a capital M and ‘Advocate’ has a capital A and the documents do not say: ‘Advocate of some Grace’ or ‘Mediatrix of some Grace’, the answers can be sensibly deduced without unnecessary complications.

 

[friardchips]

May I post again- I DID NOT INTEND for this to become a debate about the role of Mary, or of her position in the Church, or of heresies, etc. I did not mean to start a debate and asked already if people would focus their answers on my question of which graces I’m supposed to be asking for and take your arguments on our Lady’s role to another thread that you start yourself. I had no idea this would turn into a controversial post, I’m a bit offended that it did, and I am going to ask that it be closed.

For my part, I don’t know how I missed this plea. In direct answer to your question, OP: you can ask Mary for any grace. For anything and everything Our Lady does is not outside of virtue. She is your Mother so pray to her for all the strength you need. She is inseparable from her Son and is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and wrapped in the Father’s love. It is easier to part the stars from the sky than to part her from our Creator so you can confidently walk forward in faith, asking Our Lady for all you need, placing yourself confidently into your Holy Mother’s hands.

All the best to you.

 

[friardchips]

I’m asking for just one quote from just one document, and which one statement by me that you feel contravenes that one quote.

You want me to read for you?!

I am respecting the OP with more care now since having seen his latest plea.

So you will have to continue this discussion on another thread if you want dialogue with me about it. But if you look up the subject there are already loads of threads about the truth. .

Best wishes.

 

[Ignatius]

We’re supposed to ask for them from her, and we actually offend her when we don’t

No, that is not Church teaching.

 

[Genesis315]

Here’s what Vatican II says:
Vatican II:

Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.(15*) By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and cultics, until they are led into the happiness of their true home. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix.(16*)​

1. By reason of the gift and role of divine maternity, by which she is united with her Son, the Redeemer, and with His singular graces and functions, the Blessed Virgin is also intimately united with the Church.

(16) Cfr. Leo XIII, Litt. Encycl. Adiutricem populi, 5 sept. 1895: *** 15 (1895-96), p. 303. - S. Pius X, Litt. Encycl. Ad diem illum, 2 febr. 1904: Acta, I, p. 154- Denz. 1978 a (3370) . Pius XI, Litt. Encycl. Miserentissimus, 8 maii 1928: AAS 20 (1928) p. 178. Pius XII, Nuntius Radioph., 13 maii 1946: AAS 38 (1946) p. 266

And here is what it cites:
Leo XIII:

1. It is impossible to measure the power and scope of her offices since the day she was taken up to that height of heavenly glory in the company of her Son, to which the dignity and luster of her merits entitle her. From her heavenly abode she began, by God’s decree, to watch over the Church, to assist and befriend us as our Mother; so that she who was so intimately associated with the mystery of human salvation is just as closely associated with the distribution of the graces which for all time will flow from the Redemption.
2. The power thus put into her hands is all but unlimited. How unerringly right, then, are Christian souls when they turn to Mary for help as though impelled by an instinct of nature, confidently sharing with her their future hopes and past achievements, their sorrows and joys, commending themselves like children to the care of a bountiful mother. How rightly, too, has every nation and every liturgy without exception acclaimed her great renown, which has grown greater with the voice of each succeeding century. Among her many other titles we find her hailed as “our Lady, our Mediatrix,”[3] “the Reparatrix of the whole world,”[4] “the Dispenser of all heavenly gifts.”[5]

St. Pius X:

1. Moreover it was not only the prerogative of the Most Holy Mother to have furnished the material of His flesh to the Only Son of God, Who was to be born with human members (S. Bede Ven. L. Iv. in Luc. xl.), of which material should be prepared the Victim for the salvation of men; but hers was also the office of tending and nourishing that Victim, and at the appointed time presenting Him for the sacrifice. Hence that uninterrupted community of life and labors of the Son and the Mother, so that of both might have been uttered the words of the Psalmist"My life is consumed in sorrow and my years in groans" (Ps xxx., 11). When the supreme hour of the Son came, beside the Cross of Jesus there stood Mary His Mother, not merely occupied in contemplating the cruel spectacle, but rejoicing that her Only Son was offered for the salvation of mankind, and so entirely participating in His Passion, that if it had been possible she would have gladly borne all the torments that her Son bore (S. Bonav. 1. Sent d. 48, ad Litt. dub. 4). And from this community of will and suffering between Christ and Mary she merited to become most worthily the Reparatrix of the lost world (Eadmeri Mon. De Excellentia Virg. Mariae, c. 9) and Dispensatrix of all the gifts that Our Savior purchased for us by His Death and by His Blood.
2. It cannot, of course, be denied that the dispensation of these treasures is the particular and peculiar right of Jesus Christ, for they are the exclusive fruit of His Death, who by His nature is the mediator between God and man. Nevertheless, by this companionship in sorrow and suffering already mentioned between the Mother and the Son, it has been allowed to the august Virgin to be the most powerful mediatrix and advocate of the whole world with her Divine Son (Pius IX. Ineffabilis). The source, then, is Jesus Christ “of whose fullness we have all received” (John i., 16), “from whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in charity” (Ephesians iv., 16). But Mary, as St. Bernard justly remarks, is the channel (Serm. de temp on the Nativ. B. V. De Aquaeductu n. 4); or, if you will, the connecting portion the function of which is to join the body to the head and to transmit to the body the influences and volitions of the head - We mean the neck. Yes, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, “she is the neck of Our Head, by which He communicates to His mystical body all spiritual gifts” (Quadrag. de Evangel. aetern. Serm. x., a. 3, c. iii.).

Pius XI:

Trusting in her intercession with Christ, who whereas He is the “one mediator of God and men” (1 Timothy ii, 5), chose to make His Mother the advocate of sinners, and the minister and mediatress of grace, as an earnest of heavenly gifts and as a token of Our paternal affection we most lovingly impart the Apostolic Blessing to you, Venerable Brethren, and to all the flock committed to your care.

The last one, a radio message of Pius XII to Portugal, I can only find in Portuguese, but from google translate it seems to say that she is always associated with the distribution of the graces derived from redemption.

 

[godisgood77]

There was a movement around a decade ago to get the Church to recognize this title. The Church examined it and shelved the question indefinitely.

The biggest problem with the title is that nobody knows what it means. Its supporters could not even agree on that question.

Some interpretations carry theological problems. The Church has always taught that Mary is the same as any other Saint except in her degree of honor (both in heaven and on earth). She is the greatest of Saints, but is not ontologically different from them. She has no “abilities” that other Saints don’t have.

Some interpretations of the mediatrix title would grant her superpowers that she doesn’t have, making her into some sort of demigod.

Right on… so right on… There has been a movement to declare Mary as the Mediatrix of All Grace and define it formally. This movement has been pursued and pushed for over 100 years… in fact, there are 6-8 million petitions that have been sent to the Vatican asking for the definition.

The reality is that 6-8 million is a minuscule number when you realize that there are well over one billion Catholics. Set that aside though and know that multiple Popes have formed formal commissions to study the topic - Pius XI formed 3 commissions in the 1920’s and John Paul II formed one in the mid-1980’s - all four commissions agreed not to pursue the definition.

There has clearly been much spiritual/mystical writing on the topic, much study and many poetic statements by Popes. The reality is that the title has never been defined; it means so many different things to so many different people…and not just any people - among Church experts. However, the thing that we can all believe is that the Church has officially studied the topic in depth on multiple occasions and has unanimously decided not to pursue it.

For those interested, this site is a great resource for all things Mary.

miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/lipa/index.html

 

[DavidFilmer]

You want me to read for you?!

No, I am just asking you to pick one statement that you think I have opposed. Because I find everything that I have said is in harmony with every statement you posted.

Protestants often practice dishonest apologetics by “shotgunning” many Scriptural passages which are related to a topic, but none of which actually support their point. They are hoping that the sheer volume of citations (and not their substance) will intimidate their audience.

I usually respond to this technique by asking the guy to pick just ONE of those passages (give me your best shot). I rarely receive a substantive reply, because none of the passages actually support the guy’s point, and the guy can no longer try to hide behind the mound of citations he has constructed.

I’m not intimidated by the volume of your citations. You accuse me of heresy, and then hit me with a whole bunch of citations that are related to the topic, but do not support your accusation. You’re doing the same thing that those protestants do, and I am responding to you in the same manner that I respond to them.

And I’m getting pretty much the same response.

 

[godisgood77]

So I have read repeatedly that Mary is the mediatrix of all graces. We’re supposed to ask for them from her, and we actually offend her when we don’t ask. Additionally I read that in the image of the Miraculous Medal, the dark rays are the graces we forget to ask for.

And I’ve tried to search what graces we should ask for, but I can’t find anything on the topic.

I know that when I pray the Rosary, the first Ave beads are for the graces of “Faith, Hope and Charity” but what other graces are we supposed to be asking for?

AKDee - sorry the thread got off track…

I guess the question is a bit confusing to me. I always thinking of praying to God with Mary… or asking God and asking Mary to ask with me… think of it like a song. You are singing a solo and the choirs of angels, the litany of saints, blessed Joseph and mother Mary harmonize with your solo creating a symphony of prayers that are directed to God.

All of that said, I personally do not try to ask for anything in my prayers outside of resignation to the Divine will… the only thing I hope for …

Hope this helps.

 

[catholic1seeks]

Mary’s role as Mediatrix (which, while not dogma, is also part of the Church’s ordinary Magisterium) is intercessory.

This answer given right here is the answer. That’s what everyone needs to understand, and there really should be no controversy over the subject.

Mary as “Mediatrix” is Mary as a fellow Christian woman who prays for us in Heaven, as any saint in Heaven and any Christian on Earth does.

But as James tells us in his letter, the prayer of a righteous person is great in its effects. Mary is the closest human to Christ, her son. She is the holiest human person; their bond is greater than any other bond between Christ and a human person.

That’s all it means. I find the term deplorable for ecumenical reasons. Most other Christians will not look into what this term or “Co-redemptrix” means. They seem to indicate something on par with Christ, which is not the case at all. Christ won our redemption. Mary, as any Christian does, applies that redemption to other humans through her prayers.