Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

168 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel favors through Mary, let everyone hasten to have recourse to Mary ” (Superiore anno , AAS 32 1940, p. 145. For usage o f same expression by Pius XII, cf., AAS, 45,1953, p. 382); “She teaches us all virtues; she gives us her Son and with Him all the help we need, for ‘God wished us to have everything through Mary’” {Mediator Dei, 1947). We especially find a particularly rich contribution to the doctrinal teaching o f Our Lady’s role as Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix in the con­ temporary writings o f John Paul II. In fact, the Maternal Mediation of Mary is the subject o f the entire third part o f His Holiness’ 1987 encycli­ cal, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). In part I, no. 21, the Pontiff states: Thus there is mediation: Mary places herself between her Son and mankind in the reality o f its wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herse lf ‘in the middle, ’ that is to say, she acts as a mediatrix not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that, as such, she can point out to her Son the needs o f mankind and in fact, she ‘has the right’ to do so. Her mediation is thus in the nature o f intercession: Mary ‘intercedes’ for mankind” {Redemptoris Mater , no. 21). In our Holy Father’s 1 October, 1997 Wednesday Audience, he reminds us: We recall that Mary’s mediation is essentially defined by her Divine Motherhood. Recognition of her role o f Mediatrix is more­ over implicit in the expression ‘our Mother,’ which presents the doctrine o f Marian mediation by putting the accent on her Motherhood. By theological deduction therefore, one can rightly say that the title “Mediatrix of Mercy” is implicitly contained in the classic Marian title o f “Mother of Mercy.” Referring to the Blessed Virgin’s co-redemptive role, that it is Mary who in fact “enfleshed” the mission o f the world’s redemption through her free and active co-operation, her “co-working,” John Paul recently pondered yet again this dimension in his 18 September, 1996 Audience: For Mary, dedication to the person and work o f Jesus means...