Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 123.  Thu  8-15-91  7:03
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Timothy Anderson
 Subject: Mary's Titles

³ Could you please explain the concept of "Corredemption" ?
³ I have always held the belief that JESUS CHRIST through his death and
³ resurrection, and our acceptence of his grace was our ONLY path to
³ redemption. Please enlighten me...
 
Dear Timothy,
 
You have asked me to explain our concept of Mary's Coredemption.  We
use this title in conjunction with other titles of our Blessed
Mother: Mediatrix and Helper.
 
First, I recommend your reading of Chapter VIII of the Dogmatic
Constitution of the Church (LUMEN GENTIUM) of the Second Vatican
Council.  Catholic libraries and bookstores can provide you with this
document, or it can be downloaded from CIN #1 at 619-287-5828.  Two
papal messages on Mary are also easily available:  Paul VI's
"Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary," and John Paul II's "Mother of
the Redeemer."  Hoping that you will read these official documents,
let me give you my own approach to an explanation of these praises of
Our Lady.  Please remember that I am neither a theologian nor a
member of the hierarchy!
 
The Catholic Church is a mystical unity of Christ and all His
disciples on earth, in purgatory and in heaven.  Comparing this unity
to the human body, St. Paul teaches that Christ is the head of the
body, and we are all His members and members of one another (Romans
12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:17, 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:15-16;
Colossians 1:18-24, 3:15).
 
Empowered by Christ our Head, we, His members, are ALL mutually
responsible for one another's salvation and for reaching out to
others who are not yet members of Christ, but are called to become so
along with us (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Timothy 2:3-5).  Christ uses ALL
his disciples as His ministers of grace.  He works along with us,
whatever our place and function may be in the Church, His body (2
Corinthians 5:18, 20).
 
Our activity and merit does not add to His.  Rather we draw all our
power from Him.  Out of his incredible and overflowing riches and
generosity, He freely wills to associate us with Himself in power and
in pain, so that we may also share His eternal joy, reward, and glory
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Philippians 2:12-18; Romans 8:17), as we have
believed in Him and shared His afflictions.
 
Among all us disciples of Christ, members of the Church, Mary holds a
preeminent place because she was the first disciple and holiest of us
all, most like her Son.  She is the Mother of our Head, and so
spiritually she is the Mother of all the members of Christ.  She is
our model in her splendid faith, total obedience, and utter
sinlessness and purity.  Her vocation is to pray for us, to bring us
to her Son, and to bring Him to life, growth, and perfection in each
one of us.  She is the Universal Intercessor and the Universal
Cooperator with Christ, for the REDEMPTION of His members, her
children.  Hence we call her Co-redeemer par excellence, remembering
that we are all mutually Co-redeemers.  She is Mediatrix to us all,
as we are all mutually mediators.  She is Christ's Helper in our
salvation, as we are all mutually His helpers.  All comes from
Christ.  We are sharers, with Mary the greatest sharer of all.  It is
well to pause here, and to invite you to meditation, only repeating
that Mary is a creature, a woman, redeemed by Christ.  But she is so
exceptional by reason of her Motherhood of Christ and her perfect
fullness of grace, that she rightly holds the first place in every
way among all Christ's disciples.
 
She is neither Pope nor bishop.  She is Mother.  Therefore, because
of her, Catholics find it easy to remember that we do not belong
primarily to an ORGANIZATION, but to a FAMILY, a living BODY, a
life-filled and life-giving VINE.
                   Sincerely in Christ with Mary, Father Mateo