The Lord Is With Thee

CO-REDEMPTRIX

“I AM WITH YOU and will watch over you wherever you go,
and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you
until I have done what I have promised you.”
Genesis 28:15

And the angel being come in, said unto her:
Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.
Luke 1, 28 (DRB)

In Catholic theology, merit is understood as the intrinsic quality of a good work that qualifies the doer to receive a reward from God for fulfilling His divine will in collaboration with His grace. This principle of merit reflects God’s merciful nature, as He has established a reward system that aligns with His justice—ensuring that no good deed performed in faith and love goes unacknowledged. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The grace of the Holy Spirit can confer true merit on us, by our adoptive filiation, and by God’s gratuitous justice. Charity is the principal source of merit in us before God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2026). This emphasizes that it is not merely our actions that earn merit but rather the grace of the Holy Spirit working within us, coupled with our identity as adopted children of God.

Furthermore, the Catechism affirms that “Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and others all the graces needed to attain eternal life” (CCC, 2027). This underscores the communal aspect of merit, where the faithful, empowered by the Holy Spirit, can intercede for their own spiritual progression and others. Hence, the doctrine of merit in Catholicism invites believers to recognize their role in God’s plan of salvation, urging them to act with charity and good works, as these are integral to the journey toward sanctification and justification. Through this lens, merit is not solely about personal achievement but about participating in a divine economy of grace that fosters individual growth and the communal quest for eternal life.

Justification encompasses several profound elements: the remission of sins, which allows individuals to be reconciled with God; the removal of guilt, freeing them from the burden of past transgressions; and the sanctification and renewal of the person, transforming their inner life to align more closely with divine will. Our good works, motivated by faith and charity, stem from divine grace, the unmerited favor bestowed upon us. Through our faithful prayers and acts of self-denial, we can merit actual graces—not only for ourselves in what is termed condign merit but also for others, known as congruous merit. This concept highlights the communal aspect of salvation, showing that individual actions can influence the spiritual welfare of others.

When Mary accepted her role as the mother of the Divine Messiah, her consent was a pivotal moment in salvation history. She did not seek the divine maternity merely for her own benefit, as such self-interest would have been contrary to her virtuous nature. Instead, she aimed to foster the greater good for humanity through her sacrifices. By embracing her divine vocation, she knew she might endure personal trials and challenges undertaken for mankind’s redemption. This selfless devotion resonates with the teaching of Philippians 4:17, which emphasizes the importance of our contributions to the spiritual enrichment of others, demonstrating how our faith can bear fruit in collective salvation.

Theologically, condign merit refers to a specific type of goodness attributed to an individual based on their actions in a state of grace. This concept posits that there is a fundamental equity between the service a person provides and the rewards they receive, aligning with the principle of commutative justice, which emphasizes mutual fairness in relationships. Condign merit is a reward for executing good works in collaboration with the Holy Spirit, highlighting the synergistic relationship between divine grace and human effort. It is also fundamentally a recognition of the individual’s deserving nature based on their free consent to act in faith and love. In this theological framework, if the reward that is rightfully due to an individual for their condign merit is withheld, it is perceived as an injustice. This perspective is grounded in the belief that God has willingly committed Himself to honor the love and positive choices of those who choose to follow Him, as supported by various biblical references, including Deuteronomy 5:33, Proverbs 3:3-4, and numerous passages in the New Testament, such as Matthew 25:21 and James 1:12.

This theological understanding emphasizes the relational nature of God’s justice and the moral obligation He has to reward believers who act in accordance with His will. In contrast, strict merit pertains to a different category of merit, one bound by legal obligations or contractual agreements—essentially, rewards that are owed based on explicit entitlements or the equity of justice, rather than the inherent goodness recognized in condign merit. This distinction is crucial for comprehending the nuances of how grace and works interplay within the context of faith.

In the strict and theological sense of justice, it is through Christ’s redemptive work that we are granted the initial grace of justification and the forgiveness of our sins upon receiving the sacrament of baptism, as articulated in Ephesians 2:8-9. This grace is a profound gift, for only Christ, in his divine nature and oneness with the Father—asserted in John 10:30—could restore the profound equity of justice disrupted between God and humanity after the Fall. The implications of his divine essence allow for an infinite and eternal restoration that human beings, bound by their limitations, cannot achieve independently.

In contrast, the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her remarkable faith and actions, could attain what is known as condign merit for herself, reflecting her alignment with God’s grace and congruous merit for all of humanity. This merit is not the same as the infinite merit of Christ but is instead based on the cooperative grace she embraced while living a life of virtue. The good works she performed under the influence of divine grace earned her the promise of salvation, a gift that underscores the importance of free will in accepting God’s grace.

Now, residing in heaven, the Blessed Mother fulfills the role of both intercessor and advocate for us. Her prayers and supplications can lead to granting subsequent actual graces—such as faith, hope, and charity—which are essential for our ongoing growth in sanctification and justification. This transformative process is evidenced in passages like 2 Corinthians 3:18, which speaks of being progressively changed into the likeness of Christ, as well as Colossians 3:10 and Philippians 2:13, which emphasize our participation in divine grace as we strive towards holiness. Through these graces, believers are empowered to deepen their relationship with God and embody the virtues that reflect His glory in their daily lives.

We must carefully distinguish between the nature and extent of the merits attributed to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, a concept known as supernatural merit within the context of grace. First and foremost, a third category of merit is exclusive to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This category, recognized as perfect condign merit, represents the highest form of merit—perfect and most deserving of a reward. It is characterized by the act of charity performed by the Divine Person made flesh.

Jesus’s act of love is unparalleled, carrying a value that is at least commensurate with the reward it seeks, given that it stems from the very nature of a Divine Person. Importantly, while Jesus did not merit the reward for himself—since he is inherently omnipotent and divine as the Son of God- he did merit it for all humankind. This merit was achieved in strict justice, as Jesus, in his humanity, performed acts of charity that reflect the fullness of grace given to him through his dual nature as both God and man.

As the new Head of humanity—often referred to as the New Adam—Jesus’ actions were deeply rooted in the profound act of love exemplified during his earthly Ministry, culminating in his Passion and Resurrection. In this way, he restored humanity’s fallen state and allowed all to receive his grace through his merits. This grace, bestowed upon us, is graciously offered to all believers so that they might partake in the redemptive love and mercy flowing from his divine act of charity (as affirmed in John 1:14), enabling us to partake in the salvific journey that he initiated through his incarnate life.

On the other hand, Mary’s human merit in relation to her acts of charity and grace is profoundly significant and fitting within the broader context of Christian theology. Her remarkable ability to perform acts of love and compassion reflects her deep personal virtue and her profound alignment with the highest standards of supernatural reward established by divine principles.

However, it is essential to clarify that her merit should not be understood as being directly proportionate to the reward itself. Instead, her meritorious acts were the natural outflow of the fullness of habitual grace—an extraordinary divine gift with which she was wholly and perfectly endowed from the moment of her conception. This unparalleled grace was bestowed upon her through the Divine favor, setting her apart in a unique manner and elevating her to a status that transcends any mere natural merit she might possess outside the divine order.

For instance, in Luke 1:28, the angel Gabriel greets her with the declaration that she is “full of grace,” indicating her special role and the divine favor that envelops her. Additionally, passages such as 1 Peter 2:5 emphasize the spiritual priesthood of all believers, yet Mary’s unique participation in salvation history elevates her contributions to a distinctly significant level. Her pivotal role and actions resonate within the context of her own life and have lasting implications for the Church, reinforcing her extraordinary significance in salvation history.

The lower merit assigned to human beings is rooted in charity and friendship with God rather than based solely on strict notions of justice. This understanding suggests that Jesus chose to enter the world not solely to redeem sinful humanity but significantly for His righteous mother, Mary. This principle, known as the principle of predilection, highlights that Mary, through her willingness to accept the divine will, meritoriously offered her body as a living sacrifice by consenting to become the mother of our Divine Lord (as reflected in Romans 12:1).

Mary’s unique role in salvation history means she merited all that Jesus achieved through strict justice for us. Although she could not merit anything for us in a condign manner—since this requires being the head of humanity, a role fulfilled by Christ—she was able to participate in our salvation collaboratively through her congruous merits, which arose from her deep relationship with God and the grace bestowed upon her. Therefore, while it is true that each of us can only merit condignly for our own rewards, Mary’s exceptional cooperation with divine grace allowed her to play a pivotal role in the redemptive narrative, serving as a bridge between humanity and divinity. This cooperation underscores the profound theological understanding of Mary’s cooperation in the salvation of mankind, demonstrating that her consent and participation were key elements in the unfolding of God’s plan.

Jesus did not intend to sacrifice himself in isolation for the sins of humanity; rather, his act of redemption was a profound grace that only he could offer. This grace invites all believers to participate in the divine plan of salvation, making us “fellow workers with God” (1 Cor 3:9). Mary, the Mother of Jesus, did not simply fulfill her role by giving birth to our Lord and Savior. Her journey was one of ongoing growth in love and holiness, which required her to actively embrace her vocation. To fully participate in God’s redemptive plan, Mary was called to endure great suffering and to remain united with her Son in his passion. This shared experience of pain was not merely symbolic; it was essential for the temporal remission of humanity’s debt of sin. As prophesied, “a sword will pierce her soul” (Lk 2:35), suggesting that her suffering was integral to the spiritual transformation and conversion that her divine Son would later offer to the world through his sacrifice.

Thus, Mary’s joy merely in her unique status as the Messiah’s natural mother was insufficient. Her fulfillment and participation in the divine mystery of salvation required a deeper commitment that involved her suffering and participation in Christ’s redemptive work. Through her unwavering faith and acceptance of God’s will, she exemplified the call to deep, sacrificial love and active cooperation in the salvation of humanity.

The initial grace of justification and forgiveness, which Christ alone has merited for us as the God-man through His theandric sacrificial act, signifies the pivotal beginning of our journey in faith toward eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9). This divine initiative has been meticulously prepared for humanity by God from the very beginning of creation (Gen 3:15). Mary stands as the profound sign of humanity’s restoration to a state of grace, exemplifying this through her charitable act of faith in accepting God’s will. Her Fiat, or “let it be,” echoes through the ages, affirming that through her cooperation with God’s plan, our salvation is closer than before her consent. In following the example of our Blessed Lady, who precedes us in the order of grace, we are called not to become complacent in our belief but to actively engage in our faith journey (Rom 13:11). Her unwavering trust and obedience inspire us to remain vigilant and proactive, dedicating ourselves to a life of devotion and service as we await the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Saving faith is an active and intentional faith. Our salvation is a profound journey that requires us to “work out in fear and trembling” our own salvation (Phil 2:12), reflecting our awareness of our limitations in loving God and our neighbors. Mary exemplified this active faith by wholeheartedly opening her heart to God’s will. Because of her unwavering acceptance and love, she found favor with Him, as indicated in Luke 1:30, and became instrumental in the fulfillment of divine grace that her Son, Jesus, would later extend to all humanity through His life, teachings, and ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

The Incarnation—the pivotal moment when the Word became flesh (John 1:14)—was not a coincidence; it depended on Mary’s profound love and commitment to God and humanity. Had she lacked this deep love, she would unlikely have said “yes” to the divine invitation, leading to the Incarnation. Furthermore, Mary’s journey alongside Jesus to Calvary, as she witnessed His suffering and crucifixion, was fortified by the fiery love of the Holy Spirit ignited within her heart. This divine love justified her before God and equipped her to serve as a vital co-worker with her Son in the redemptive mission for a fallen and sinful humanity. Without such love, enduring the pain of the Passion would have been an insurmountable trial.

This being said, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary during the sacred month of Nisan, as noted in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:27). Mary, chosen and favored by God, embodied the grace of divine craftsmanship; she was lovingly created in the image of her Son, Jesus, to fulfill the good works that God had meticulously planned for her (Eph 2:10). This divine selection highlights a central tenet of Christian belief: our justification before God is rooted in faith informed by charity that are gifted through His grace.

Moreover, St. Peter articulates that we, as “living stones,” are being constructed into a spiritual edifice. This collective formation serves the purpose of establishing a holy priesthood that is equipped to present spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:5). It is essential to note that our justification is not a mere declaration based on faith alone; it is the active embodiment of that faith in our lives that truly builds upon this foundational belief. The foundation of our faith becomes meaningful only when we actively construct our spiritual lives upon it, transforming it into a living testament of our relationship with God.

Mary had profound faith in the words delivered by the angel Gabriel, a faith that transformed her life and the world around her. When Gabriel announced the Incarnation, she received the miraculous news of becoming the Mother of God and the first human being to comprehend the profound mystery of the Holy Trinity. Her response, the Fiat, symbolized her unwavering acceptance and marked the beginning of her remarkable pilgrimage of faith, which required her to fully embrace her unique role in divine salvation. This journey was not merely a passive acceptance; it demanded that Mary be spiritually shaped and constructed as a living house of faith built upon the solid foundation of her divine mission. Through her willingness to endure significant spiritual sacrifices—often united in suffering with her Son—the grace of redemption could be extended to all humanity. Every moment of her life was imbued with a forceful purpose, acting as a conduit through which God’s grace could flow.

In the divine order of grace, Mary stands pre-eminent among the common priesthood of all believers within Christ’s Mystical Body. Her moral participation in the work of redemption is unparalleled; it highlights how her unwavering faith and obedience contributed not only to her Son’s earthly mission but also to the universal availability of grace for all. Through her acceptance and the sacrifices she made, we, too, have been invited to partake in this divine grace of adoption as children of God. Mary’s journey is an enduring example, inspiring all believers to embrace their paths of faith, service, and love in the ongoing story of redemption.

Thus, Mary was pivotal in bringing countless souls to her Lord through the unique and extraordinary gift bestowed upon her, namely, the Divine Maternity. She embraced a path imbued with deep charity and unparalleled grace by uttering her profound Fiat—an affirmation of her willing acceptance. This momentous decision allowed her to bear the living Font of all grace, Jesus Christ, into the world, thus serving as His chief steward of divine grace and salvation. Her role was not merely one of passive acceptance; it required profound sacrifice, embodying the essence of God’s love and goodness. Mary willingly offered comfort and desires for the sake of poor sinners, driven by an unwavering commitment to facilitate their reconciliation with God. Mary’s journey was marked by her trials and suffering, symbolized by her embrace of the cross alongside her Son. She carried her burden with unwavering faith, traversing the Via Dolorosa—the way of sorrow—together with Christ in spirit.

Our Lord’s handmaid, the Blessed Virgin Mary, did not merely prioritize her own interests, despite the immense joy and honor of being chosen as the mother of the Lord. Rather, she fully grasped the profound moral responsibility that accompanied her unique position—raising her divine Son, who was destined to become the Savior of humanity. Mary recognized that her decision to accept this monumental role was not just about her personal fulfillment; it was a divine call to actively collaborate with God in His overarching plan for redemption.

In embracing this path, she knew it would require tremendous personal sacrifices. These sacrifices would echo throughout her life as she faced trials such as the uncertainty of her journey to Bethlehem, the prophecy of Simeon foretelling the suffering her Son would endure, and the pain of witnessing His crucifixion. Each of these moments demanded her unwavering faith and steadfast commitment, as she united her own trials with those of her Son for the well-being and salvation of countless souls. Through her acceptance and courage, Mary exemplified a profound love that transcended her joys and sorrows, making her an essential partner in God’s redemptive work.

Mary understood that her faith was not merely a personal possession to be safeguarded for her own benefit; rather, she felt a profound call from God to share her faith with others, even if it required her to endure considerable trials and hardships. For Mary, the Divine Maternity, a revered aspect of her faith, was not the ultimate reward she sought; it was merely a part of her spiritual journey. Her aspiration was to achieve eternal life with God—a profound union transcending earthly existence. She firmly believed that this eternal reward could only be attained through a life of suffering, self-denial, and the willingness to sacrifice her own desires for the sake of others. By doing so, she aimed to spread God’s word and illuminate His truth to everyone, including the Gentiles, who had often been left in spiritual darkness. Mary was driven by a deep conviction that sharing the message of salvation was her divine mission, a mission that required both courage and an unwavering commitment to her faith.

In the profound depths of her soul, Mary recognized the transformative power that her divine Son would unveil with the establishment of His heavenly kingdom. She reflected on the scripture: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Mt 25:29). This insight imbued her with a deep awareness that she could not rightfully earn her maternal blessing or attain eternal life if she chose to bury the precious talent bestowed upon her through the grace of her divine Son.

Mary understood that this talent required her active participation and a willingness to make personal sacrifices to express her spiritual worship. She was called to endure suffering—not only for her own sake but also for the sins of the world and for the conversion of sinners. Her acceptance of divine motherhood transcended personal honor; it became a profound act of love and a vital means of making temporal reparation for the multifaceted sins that burden humanity. Through her sacrifices, she exemplified the virtues of faith and humility, embodying the essence of cooperative grace in the unfolding divine plan for salvation.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you,” she was perplexed by the meaning of the angel’s greeting. She intuited that God must have sent His messenger to ask something demanding of her for a divine purpose of tremendous proportion. After all, Mary must have been familiar with the Jewish traditions of God, appearing to the patriarchs, judges, and prophets and calling them to engage in daunting tasks that could even last a lifetime.

When God appeared to Jacob and ratified the covenant He had initially made with Abraham and now entrusted to his grandson, he said: “I AM WITH YOU and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen 28:15). Likewise, when God called Moses from the burning bush to lead His people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, He said: “I WILL BE WITH YOU., And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain” (Ex 3:12). Taking Moses’ place, Joshua was called by God to lead the Israelites into battle to possess the land God promised them with these words: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I WILL BE WITH YOU; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Josh 1:5).

Further, when God placed David, a humble shepherd boy, on the throne as head of His everlasting kingdom in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, reminding David of His faithfulness to him, He said: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel; and I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth…When your days are fulfilled, and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Sam 7:9,12). And, finally, when God called Jeremiah to be a prophet for the nations, He said: “Do not be afraid of them, for I AM WITH YOU and will rescue you” (Jer 1:8).

The words “the Lord is with you” must have signaled to Mary that God was calling her to embark on an extraordinary mission that could be as difficult and demanding as it was for the Hebrew heroes who went before her. Sensing her uneasiness, the angel Gabriel assured her not to fear, for she “had found grace with God” (Lk 1:30). The good news Mary received from the angel dispelled all her uneasiness (vv.31-33), but what she feared in her humility was whether she might not be up to the task. It wasn’t that she dreaded what she might have to suffer or didn’t trust God. So, when she pronounced her Fiat joyfully, she did affirm that God would be her “refuge” and “fortress” in whom she could “trust” (Ps 9:12), for God alone was her “help” and her “salvation,” in whom she had nothing to fear (Lk 1:46-49; Ps 27:1). In God alone was her soul at rest.

Hence, Mary’s soul was at peace when the angel called her to engage with God in His work of salvation. God sent His messenger to Mary because He impacted her stillness. In her spiritual state, she saw God as the only one she could trust: omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, holy, sovereign, faithful, infinite, and good. God would undoubtedly exalt Himself over His enemies who were hers as well. All Mary could do, in the meantime, was surrender herself to God and trust in His plan, whatever trials and hardships she might have to endure together with her divine Son. Her greatest enemy must never be herself by losing her trust in God and relying solely on her strength and personal resources. If she cooperated with God like her ancestors, all should work for the greater good. We can be sure that our valiant Lady implicitly expressed her thoughts in her Magnificat (Lk 1:50-55).

A faithful saying:
for if we be dead with him,
we shall live also with him.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
2 Timothy 2, 11-12

Since Pentecost, the Catholic Church has infallibly taught that Christ alone redeemed the world by suffering and dying for its sins. It was he who liberated us “from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal 3:13). In other words, to satisfy His justice, God willed that Jesus should be made an object of His wrath by laying “the iniquity of us all” on him (Isa 53:6). Unless Jesus was “smitten by God and inflicted” for its transgressions, humankind couldn’t be reconciled to Him and delivered from the stain of original sin, the deprivation of the original justice and sanctity that Adam had forfeited for all his descendants. Nor could our personal sins be forgiven and our common guilt removed unless Christ was “bruised for our offenses” (Isa 53:5).

While many Protestants believe that Jesus was actually punished for our sins, this perspective raises complexities about the nature of sin and punishment. Instead, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, willingly took upon Himself the punishment that humanity collectively deserves. This act of propitiation was necessary to reconcile our offenses against the Father. In this profound exchange, Jesus endured severe suffering and death, an unjust fate for a sinless one, to restore the balance of divine justice between God and humanity. His sacrifice was not merely an act of obedience but a deliberate act of love that addressed the deep rift caused by sin.

Jesus merited all the graces essential for our regeneration through His passion and crucifixion. This means that, through His actions, we are offered the ability to be renewed and transformed. As a result, we can be sanctified—set apart for holy purposes—and seen as just in the eyes of God, reflecting the righteousness of Christ Himself, as articulated in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This verse underscores the belief that we, although imperfect, can be viewed as justified before God because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

About two millennia later, we are reminded that our Lord had a profound desire to collaborate with His blessed mother, Mary, so that “everyone might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” as stated in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Paul emphasizes this divine partnership when he writes, “We then, as workers together with (sunergountos/sunergo συνεργός, οῦ, ὁ) him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1). Furthermore, he reassures us that God “works for good with” (sunergei eis agathon) those who love Him, as expressed in Romans 8:28, highlighting the collaborative relationship between the divine and humanity.

This divine cooperation was exemplified when God chose a young woman named Mary to fulfill an extraordinary mission. The angel Gabriel was sent to her with a gracious proposal, signifying God’s intention to work for the good of all mankind through her. In preparation for this monumental role, God endowed Mary with an abundance of grace, perfecting her character and faithfulness to ensure she would be fully equipped for the task at hand (Luke 1:28). This preparation underscores the importance of individual readiness in fulfilling God’s plan, illustrating how Mary’s unique qualities made her the ideal vessel for the Incarnation. Through her, God initiated a pivotal moment in history that continues to resonate with profound significance in the Christian faith today.

Mary would have received God’s grace in vain if she had decided to bury her talent or the gift of divine motherhood by being content only with giving birth to Jesus and nurturing him in his childhood. But she was also called to be his disciple, taking her cross after him. By having done this, she was further or truly (menoun/μενοῦνγε) blessed (Lk 11:28). Mary understood that her faith was an ongoing process that required good works done in charity (agape) and grace for the sanctification or justification of her soul to be saved by serving God. In the order of grace, our Blessed Handmaid has exemplified what we must do to inherit eternal life: acts of sacrificial love (Mt 19:16-22).

God’s messenger, the angel Gabriel, greeted Mary with profound reverence, declaring her to be “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for [her] to do” (Eph 2:10). This divine affirmation emphasizes Mary’s unique role in salvation history, highlighting that her vocation was preordained by God even before the foundations of the world. This remarkable destiny was made possible in anticipation of her Son, Jesus Christ, who, through his immense suffering and redemptive death on the Cross, merited the grace of justification and forgiveness for all, including Mary herself. Importantly, this grace was granted not because of any preceding natural merit on her part but entirely through the system of divine grace (Eph 2:8-9).

Mary’s acceptance, known as her Fiat, was not merely a passive acknowledgment but an active, courageous consent to God’s will. This decision carried the weight of profound suffering and personal sorrow, as she would morally participate in the Incarnation. By saying “yes” to God, she embraced her journey’s inevitable trials, including the rejection and suffering her Son would face. Her Fiat thus became a pivotal moment in which she demonstrated unwavering faith and love, making temporal satisfaction to God for the sins of the world and underscoring the necessity of suffering and dying to self as prerequisites for salvation, as no soul can hope to enter Heaven without embracing such a transformative path.

Our Blessed Lady didn’t receive the grace bestowed upon her in vain but invested it in the salvation of souls, which required that she suffer in union with her Son’s suffering and anguish for the ungratefulness of sinners. Mary’s first trial of faith came soon after Jesus was born when she and her infant Son were forced to flee into Egypt because of King Herod’s decree (Mt 2:13-23). The shadow of the Cross descended on Mary in Bethlehem on a cold, inimical night where her pilgrimage of faith enshrouded in obscurity began. The manger was the door she stepped through after it had been opened at the Annunciation. Her joy in giving birth to the Messiah had to be qualified by her sorrow in giving new birth to humanity beneath the weight of the Cross (Rev 12:1-2).

Mary’s association with her Son as his helpmate in the divine plan of salvation necessitated that she, too, undergo a profound transformation, enduring suffering and ultimately relinquishing her maternal self. For the redemption to be fully realized, Mary had to willingly embrace and endure the immense sorrow that only a devoted and loving mother could feel for her beloved child. This deep, maternal anguish was not only personal but also universal, embodying the grief of all mothers who witness their children in pain.

Mary’s unique maternal love became essential to bringing God complete temporal satisfaction for the sins plaguing the world; it was perhaps the only way to fully appease God’s justice. The title of Our Sorrowful Lady aptly captures the profound depth of her suffering. Through the angel’s announcement, she was called to participate uniquely, compensating for what was still lacking in her Son’s own afflictions through her heart-wrenching trials for the salvation of souls, as echoed in Colossians 1:24.

It was through suffering “that man should not perish but have eternal life.” By Christ’s death on the cross, spiritual death has been conquered, and the second death is no longer an irrevocable prospect facing humankind. Suffering and death are evil in character, but our Lord and Saviour has made them a basis of something good. Suffering involves pain and loss because of sin, but when offered to God in union with Christ’s suffering and death, it can serve to reconcile us to God. Whenever we suffer or face death, we can give back to God that which we denied Him, viz., our love for the sake of His love and goodness. Those who have genuinely acknowledged their guilt before God and are contrite in spirit accept their suffering and death to this world that temporally appease the Divine justice and renders the eternal satisfaction Christ has made for them personally applicable (Dan 12:10; Sirach 2:5; Zach 13:8-9; 1 Cor 3:15-17; Jude 1:23, etc.).

The Virgin Mary was uniquely sinless from the moment God created her. She was endowed with a fullness of sanctifying grace, a divine gift that set her apart from all humanity. Her purity allowed her to congruously merit temporal satisfaction from God for our sins. This was possible because she willingly accepted immense pain and loss throughout her life, particularly during the Passion of her Son, and offered her profound sorrow to God as an act of devotion on our behalf. In her profound compassion, Mary felt a deep sorrow for the sins that had offended God and offered to make reparation for them, motivated by her unwavering love for God, who was distressed by our transgressions. Her spiritual sacrifice, born out of love and empathy, resonated with God, who found it to be a sweet oblation—sufficient to restore, at least temporarily, the balance of justice between Himself and humankind. This was achieved in conjunction with Christ’s ultimate act of love and sacrifice in his humanity.

As the new Eve, Mary serves as the ‘helpmate’ of the new Adam, Christ. Through this relationship, she is often referred to as our co-Redemptrix, meaning “Mother with (cum) the Redeemer.” Mary merited the grace of redemption not in parallel or equal measure to her Son’s just merits but through her humble and willing cooperation with them. Thus, her role as a central figure in salvation history highlights her unique partnership in the redemptive plan, showcasing her significance in the Christian faith.

Sin and death no longer have absolute power over us because of Christ’s work on the cross, and so we must now take up our own cross together with him if we hope to be saved (Matt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23). The faith that we must have to be saved is a repentant faith that involves doing penance by willingly making personal sacrifices and suffering for God because of our sins and those of others. We owe God so much for our offenses against His love and goodness. Jesus did not suffer and die for us so that we should no longer owe God what He rightly deserves from us and receives by our acts of self-denial – our “spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1-2).

Mary’s painful walk along the Via Dolorosa to the top of Calvary was her most significant act of worship to God. By sorrowfully having to watch her beloved Son suffer and die a cruel and shameful death, she offered up the greatest sacrifice to God any mother could have. Her Son’s suffering and death proved to be the heaviest cross she would ever have to carry so that everyone might be saved. She was chosen to be the mother of our Lord so that a sword should pierce her soul to temporally appease the Divine justice and open the gates for the formal application of her Son’s work of salvation. What Mary’s Son victoriously achieved by his passion and death was instrumentally applied to his most Blessed Mother because of her “faith working through love,” which required suffering and dying to self. With her interior anguish and the death of her natural self, joined to her Son’s paschal sacrifice, Jesus formally saved the world from sin and death. But only if we suffer with Our Blessed Mother in the name of the Lord will our salvation be instrumentally applied.

St. Paul teaches us that we all have an active share in the work of redemption through suffering (subjective redemption). His teachings, together with those of St. Peter, provided hope and fortitude for the early Christians who were barbarously persecuted and martyred by the Romans. Paul assured his listeners that what they might suffer because of Christ’s name was all for the greater good. “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor 1:5). The “comfort” he is referring to is the share in Christ’s glory which can only be attained through suffering as our Lord suffered for the sake of God’s goodness and love in a humble spirit of self-sacrifice (objective redemption) – that is for the remission of the temporal debt of sin in union with our Lord’s temporal and eternal expiation.

Just as the apostle bore his tribulations in and through Christ together with all the faithful who had to suffer from persecutions for their “praise, honor, and glory,” so too was Mary called to endure the sorrow she had to face at the foot of the Cross to complete what only her Son could have gained for the world all alone if he had chosen. Her participation in her Son’s suffering was a spiritual service to mankind no less than the persecutions the apostles had to suffer in Christ’s name and for the sake of his gospel. Yet our Blessed Mother’s collaboration with her Son was of immeasurably greater value, for it belonged to the hypostatic order of Christ’s incarnation. Her spiritual work of mercy extended beyond ecclesial communities and embraced all humanity throughout time.

And so it was that God ordained the world’s redemption should require Mary to stand before the Cross and to take it up herself by having to suffer interior anguish because of her love of God and hatred of sin. Temporally, she restored the equity of justice between God and mankind by collaborating with God in her sorrow in union with her Son’s afflictions. Mary’s sacrifice for sin in praise and thanksgiving was made on humanity’s behalf by restoring moral equilibrium between God and man. Her sacrifice was made in her heart’s humility and humanity’s broken spirit.

The temporal remission of our debt to God, because of sin, which Mary gained for us beneath the Cross, completed the eternal debt paid for us by her divine Son on the Cross. If the temporal atonement for sin Jesus made for mankind was all that was required to be perfect and complete, Mary’s suffering couldn’t have had any redemptive value. Her role as a mother and how she felt at the cross would have been strictly natural and moral, with no supernatural and saving merit. In that case, our Lord wouldn’t have needed a mother to become a man. The dust of the earth could have served sufficiently for the creation of the new Adam without a helpmate (Gen 2:7).

Yet God willed that the Son should have a helpmate like the first Adam did, only she would be at enmity with the serpent and undo Eve’s transgression by crushing the head of the serpent with her immaculate foot (Gen 2:18; 3:15). Mary was chosen to repair all the minor incidents that led to Adam’s catastrophic fall from grace. The superabundance of God’s plan to redeem mankind wouldn’t have been perfect and complete without her moral participation. The serpent’s head couldn’t have been entirely crushed if his victory over the Woman and Adam’s helpmate had remained unresolved, and he could forever gloat over it in his pride against God. The woman, too, would then have remained interminably at enmity with the serpent, with no final resolution ever being reached in Eve’s transgression. After all, she significantly contributed to the fall of her husband, Adam, as his unfaithful bride.

So, it had to take God’s faithful virgin bride to untie the sinful knot that Eve had made. The new Adam chose to justify humankind with the new Eve’s vindication of the woman. Eve stood before the tree that bore the forbidden fruit, and then something terrible happened to our spiritual detriment; the new Eve stood before the tree which bore the fruit of her womb so that where sin abounded, grace would abound even more to our spiritual benefit (Rom 5:20).

Mary serves as the quintessential model of the Church, embodying a profound faith tested and refined through immense suffering. As she stood beneath the Cross, her heart heavy with sorrow as she beheld her Son—a figure who was “wounded for our transgressions”—she sought to emulate his attributes of humility and meekness. In this moment of despair, Mary drew strength from her deep faith, demonstrating extraordinary fortitude and moral courage. By willingly embracing her suffering, she united her heart with Jesus, illustrating a profound connection between maternal love and redemptive sacrifice. Through this example of unwavering commitment and love, the Church was born, crafted from the lives of those redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice and anchored in the hope of salvation for all humanity.

By being born of a woman, Jesus Christ offered Himself to the Father as the ultimate sacrifice for the eternal expiation of humanity’s sins. This profound act of love was not executed in isolation; His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, was divinely called to share in this profound suffering. Through her participation, she bore the heavy burden of temporal debts incurred by mankind’s transgressions. In scripture, we see an illustration of divine forgiveness intertwined with justice through the story of King David. Despite God forgiving David for his grievous sins of murder and adultery, He still allowed the death of David’s child, as recorded in 2 Samuel 12:14. This act was not merely punitive but served to restore the balance of justice between David and God. It highlighted that even though David received forgiveness, a debt remained—David had taken away God’s sovereign dignity through his actions.

Our Blessed Mother plays a pivotal role in this redemptive narrative. In accepting suffering for the sake of humanity, she contributed to restoring what pride and selfishness had stripped from God. Her suffering, intertwined with her Son’s sacrifice, underscores the depth of love and mercy involved in the divine plan for salvation, demonstrating how grace is intertwined with justice in the journey toward redemption.

Although Jesus’s sacrifice provided a complete atonement for humanity’s sins, suffering and death continued to affect mankind. This ongoing reality stems from the temporal consequences of sin, which means that, despite Jesus’ redemptive act, humanity remained in a state of debt to God for its transgressions, encompassing past sins and those committed in the present and future. This debt necessitated that appropriate reparation be made to address these temporal consequences.

The concept of satisfaction plays a crucial role in this theological framework; it seeks to repair the offense committed against God and restore His favor towards humanity. Reparation involves an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a sincere effort to make amends. For an act of reparation to be deemed satisfactory in God’s eyes, it must entail a significant element of suffering or hardship. This requirement underscores the seriousness with which God views sin and emphasizes the need for a genuine and sacrificial response to heal the broken relationship between the divine and humanity.

In His boundless righteousness and infinite wisdom, God chose a morally courageous woman who would embrace, with serene acceptance and unwavering happiness, the multitude of sorrows that life would inevitably bring her way. This choice was not made lightly; it was necessary for the divine plan to ensure that His justice would be satisfied. The Son, sent to redeem the world, should not bear the weight of this monumental task alone, devoid of any moral responsibility on humanity’s part for its personal sins, which is encapsulated in the principle of “sola Christo.”

For the Virgin Mary to effectively collaborate in reparation for the sins of the world alongside her Son’s redemptive mission, she needed to embody the characteristics of a spotless ewe. This symbolism underscores her unparalleled purity and moral integrity, which set her apart as a unique figure in Christian theology. As His devoted helpmate in the divine plan of salvation, she exemplified a profound combination of grace and unwavering strength.

Mary’s role is further enriched by her identification as the anti-type of Eve, often referred to as our “co-Peccatrix” or “mother with the sinner.” This dual designation highlights her significant involvement in the original narrative of human sin and the redemptive story brought forth through Christ. By embracing her extraordinary calling, she fulfills the prophecy of the Immaculate Conception and transforms into a beacon of hope for humanity. Her acceptance of this role illuminates the intricate interplay between divine grace and human responsibility in the journey towards salvation. Mary’s life and actions are a powerful reminder that cooperation with God’s grace is essential in the quest for redemption, inviting all believers to participate in the ongoing narrative of faith and repentance.

Since ancient times, Christians have recognized Mary as the new Eve and the spiritual “mother of all the living.” She embodies those who make up redeemed humanity, restored to the life of grace and the preternatural gifts of the Holy Spirit (John 19:26-27). From the Cross, our Lord entrusted her to us as a mother, as she gave birth to us through the suffering of the Cross, having already conceived and borne her Son, who is also our brother, in its shadow.

“Adam had to be recapitulated in Christ, so that death might be swallowed up
in immortality, and Eve in Mary, so that the Virgin, having become another
virgin’s advocate, might destroy and abolish one virgin’s disobedience by
the obedience of another virgin.”
St. Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, 33
(AD 190)

Sing, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate
woman than of her who has a husband,
says the Lord.

Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide
do not hold back; lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
Isaiah 54, 1-3

Ave Maria

Marian Catholic