Virgin Mary

Mediatrix

S. ALFONSO M. DE LIGUORI

What a wonderful goodness of our God, who assigned you Lady as mediatrix for His sinners, so that you obtain what you want! (S. Bonaventura said)."Sinners, my brethren, if we are guilty with respect to the divine justice and already condemned to hell because of our sins, let’s not give up, let’s call this divine Mother, let’s go under Her cover, and She will save us. Good intention is required to change life: with good intention and large confidence in Mary we will save ourselves. Why? Because Mary is a "powerful" and "merciful" mediatrix, She is a mediatrix eager to save all people".

Firstly let’s consider that Mary is a "powerful" mediatrix, towards the judge for Her devotees. This is a singular privilege; She was given by the Judge himself who is Her Son: Large privilege is Mary being so powerful to Her Son. Gio Gersone said that the Blessed Virgin asks God with absolute will for nothing, that she will not obtain; she, as Queen, sends the angels to enlighten, purge and perfect Her servants. Therefore the Church, in order to make us to rely on this great mediatrix, teaches us to invoke Her calling Her powerful Virgin. And why is the sponsorship of Mary so powerful? Because She is the Mother of God, S. Antonino said. The prayers of Mary, as she is mother, become such as orders to Jesus Christ: and it is therefore impossible that she will not be answered, when She prays. S. George Archbishop of Nicomedia says that the Redeemer, in order to fulfil His obligation towards this mother, who gave Him His human being, answers all Her questions.

Therefore S. Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria wrote what follows: "The Son appreciates that His Mother pray Him, because He is willing to meet Her requests to thank Her for the favour He received when She allowed Him the human nature". So that the martyr S. Methodius exclaimed: Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself Mary, as your destiny is to have that Son debtor, who all we are debtors to, as whatever we have, it was given us by Him.

Firstly let’s consider that Mary is a "powerful" mediatrix, towards the judge for Her devotees. This is a singular privilege; She was given by the Judge himself who is Her Son: Large privilege is Mary being so powerful to Her Son. Gio Gersone said that the Blessed Virgin asks God with absolute will for nothing, that she will not obtain; she, as Queen, sends the angels to enlighten, purge and perfect Her servants. Therefore the Church, in order to make us to rely on this great mediatrix, teaches us to invoke Her calling Her powerful Virgin. And why is the sponsorship of Mary so powerful? Because She is the Mother of God, S. Antonino said. The prayers of Mary, as she is mother, become such as orders to Jesus Christ: and it is therefore impossible that she will not be answered, when She prays. S. George Archbishop of Nicomedia says that the Redeemer, in order to fulfil His obligation towards this mother, who gave Him His human being, answers all Her questions.

Therefore S. Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria wrote what follows: "The Son appreciates that His Mother pray Him, because He is willing to meet Her requests to thank Her for the favour He received when She allowed Him the human nature". So that the martyr S. Methodius exclaimed: Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself Mary, as your destiny is to have that Son debtor, who all we are debtors to, as whatever we have, it was given us by Him.

Finally there is no one, although wicked, whom Mary cannot save with Her intercession. Mother of God, nothing can resist your power, as your Creator estimates your Glory like His. Therefore you can everything, also S. Pier Damiani tells Her, while you can still save the surrenders.

POINT II
Let’s consider then that Mary is a mediatrix as much powerful as merciful: She cannot deny Her sponsorship to every one is asking Her for it. The eyes of the Gentleman, says David, look at the just, but this Mother of mercy (as Richard of Saint Laurence says) looks at the just as well as the sinners, so that they do not fall, or they are redeemed through Her mediation, if they have ever fallen. S. Bonaventura says that looking at Mary seemed to him looking at the mercy itself. Therefore S. Bernard exhorts us to call this powerful mediatrix very confidentially whenever we are in need, since She is sweet and benign with everyone is calling Her: "Why the frail mankind trembles for approaching Mary?

There is nothing neither severe nor terrible in Her, She is completely sweet". Therefore Mary is called olive, "Like a majestic olive in the plain". As the olive does not give other that oil, symbol of mercy, so Mary’s hands give nothing else than graces and mercy for all those who take shelter under Her sponsorship. Therefore Dionisio Cartusiano calls Her with reason the mediatrix of all the sinners, who ask Her.

Oh God, and which pain will have a Christian who will be damned, thinking that he could have saved himself very easily in his life, if he had asked this Mother of mercy, and did not do it, and he can no more do it now! A day the Blessed Virgin told S. Brigid: I am called Mother of mercy, and such I am, because such I was made by mercy of God. And truly who other than God’s mercy has given us this mediatrix to defend us, because He wants us saved? She said, Poor is and poor will be eternally that man, who even if he can ask Me, so benign and merciful to all people, unfortunate does not ask Me and he is damned.

Are we perhaps afraid, says S. Bonaventura, that Mary will deny the help we are looking for? The saint says no; She cannot and she never could avoid to pity and to help any poor wretch who has asked Her. She cannot and She is not allowed to do it because She was assigned to us by God as Queen and mother of mercy: as Queen of mercy she must look after the poor. Mother of God, as you are Queen of mercy, you must look after me more, as I am the poorest of the sinners.

hen as mother of mercy she must free from death Her ill sons, whose She is mother by mercy. This is why S. Basil calls Her public hospital. The public hospitals are for poor ill people, and the poorest has more right to be received; according to S. Basil, in the same way Mary must receive with greater mercy and attention the largest sinners, who come to Her.

But let’s not doubt of Mary’s mercy. One day S. Brigid heard the Redeemer telling His Mother: the arrogant Lucifer will never humble himself, but if the poor humbled himself to this divine Mother and prayed Her to help him, Mary with Her mediation would take him out of hell. Jesus Christ wanted to let us know, and Mary told the saint the same, that when a sinner asks Her, no matter what a sinner is, She does not take into consideration his sins, but just his intention; if he asks Her willing to be redeemed, She will receive and recover him from all his plagues.

Poor lost sinners, do not deprive of hope, look at Mary, breath and rely on the mercy of this good mother. Look for this lost grace (S. Bernard says); She has found it again, Richard of S. Laurence says; therefore we must address to her in order to have it back. When S. Gabriel went to announce Mary Her divine maternity also told Her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found grace". But if Maria was never without grace, but She was always full of grace, how could she been said that she had found it again?

Ugone Cardinal answers that Mary did not find grace for herself, because She had always had it, but for us who have lost it: therefore Ugone says that we must go and tell Her: Lady, goods must be returned to him who has lost them; this grace found by you is not yours, as You have always have it, but it is ours; we have lost it for our guilt, and therefore you must give it back to us."... In fact I do not disdain dressing and healing his plagues; for this I am called and I am truly mother of mercy".

POINT III
Mary is mother of mercy: mercy She has towards us makes us finally consider that Mary is a so merciful mediatrix that She not only helps people asking Her, but She also looks for the poor in order to defend and save them. Demon always goes around, says S. Peter, looking for someone to devour. But this divine Mother, says Bernardino from Bustis, goes around looking for someone to save; She always tries to save us like a mother who cannot see her children in danger and get lost, and cannot avoid helping them. And who ever, says S. German, except for Jesus Christ, has more cure of our health, than You, Mother of mercy? S. Bonaventura says further that Mary is so prompt in helping the poor wretch, that it seems that She has not a greater desire.

She surely answers when we ask Her and nobody has ever been driven away by Her. But that is not enough for the merciful heart of Mary, adds Richard from S. Victor. She anticipates our requests, and She is ready to help us before we ask Her for. Moreover the same author says that Mary is so merciful that when She sees miseries She immediately helps, and She cannot see someone in need without helping him. And She has acted in this way since when She lived on the earth, as we know from what happened in the wedding of Cana of Galilee: as there was no wine She did not wait for being asked, but, as She pitied the affliction and the flush of those spouses, asked Her Son to console them, saying: "They have no wine". So She obtained that Her Son turned the water into wine with a miracle. S. Bonaventura says that if Mary was so merciful towards the poor in this world, She must be much more merciful in helping us now that She is in Heaven, as She better sees our miseries and She feels much more pity for us. And Novarino adds that if Mary was so ready to help when She had not been prayed, how ready will She be to console who prays Her

Never forget to ask this divine Mother for all our needs. She is always ready to help who prays Her. And Bernardino from Bustis adds that She more wishes to do graces, than we wish to receive them. And therefore when we ask Her, we will always find Her with hands full of graces and mercy. S. Bonaventura says that She wishes to help us and to save us so much, that She is offended not by people insulting Her, but also by people avoiding Her. And the Saint asserts that who applies to Mary (always of course with will to amend) at the meeting he is already saved. Therefore he calls Her: "Health of everyone is calling Her". So let’s apply always to this divine Mother, and let’s tell Her what this saint said: "Lady, Mother of God, Mary, I will not be damned as I have placed my hopes in You".