25th Sunday Year C - Mary Mediatrix of All Grace

 

Is Jesus the only mediator between God and man, or can everyone mediate by their prayers?

In the second reading today, St. Paul said, “There is ….one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” However, he also indicates that anyone can mediate because St. Paul asked that, "….supplications prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men".

So, how can there be one mediator-- if everyone can mediate by their prayers, intercessions and supplications? Pope St. John Paul II answered this question by saying, “Are not prayers a form of mediation? Indeed, according to St Paul, the unique mediation of Christ is meant to encourage other dependent, ministerial forms of mediation. By proclaiming the uniqueness of Christ’s mediation, the Apostle (Paul) intends only to exclude any autonomous or rival mediation, and not other forms compatible with the infinite value of the Savior’s work.”

By the words of Pope St. John Paul II we understand that anyone can mediate on behalf of others, yet He makes it clear Jesus has a unique mediation in which all others are dependent. This one mediation occurred when, as St. Paul states, “when Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all.” No one, not anyone, not even Mary, could give themselves for us as a ransom for all. Only Jesus, who is God, paid the price of our redemption, by His death on the Cross.

Yet, Jesus has so willed-- that all of us participate in His one mediation, though in a small way, through our prayers, petition and supplications. Our prayers mediate on behalf of others to help them in their needs, whether physical, spiritual or emotional needs. Jesus wants us to pray for others and for our own needs that why He said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.”

Many of us mediate, by our prayers for the sick, asking God to heal them or to help them to endure their suffering. We mediate by our prayers, when we pray for our families and loved ones asking God to help them stay close to Him. We mediate for peace in the world, for the poor, the homeless, for our soldiers, for the souls in purgatory, etc…

The Church also teaches that the saints in heaven, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, can mediate on our behalf by their prayers, petitions and supplications. One example of the saints mediating in heaven is a current investigation of a purported miracle involving Chase Kear, through the prayers of Fr. Kapaun. Thousands of people asked Fr. Kapaun to intercede due to a pole vaulting accident that crushed his skull. Doctors said he most likely would not live and if he would live, he would be severely disabled. And now he is perfectly fine. If it is declared a miracle, then Fr. Kapaun will have mediated a special grace given by God, to the young man from Colwich. If future saints can mediate for us, how much more will Mary’s prayers, petitions and supplications help us?

The Blessed Virgin Mary mediates every grace given to us by God whether we know it or not, whether we ask it of Her or not. Mary never ceases to pray for Her children and She is the one through whom every grace flows. Pope Pius IX, quoted St. Bernard, who said, “God wills that every grace should come to us through Her.” Pope Benedict XV, stated, “It has pleased God to grant us all graces through the intercession of Mary”.

Because every grace comes to us through Mary’s intercession, She has the title of Mediatrix of All Graces. Though it is currently not on the Church calendar, Holy Mother Church established the Feast of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace in 1921 and Vatican II Council referred to Mary as Mediatrix in its document called Lumen Gentium. Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict have both referred to Mary as Mediatrix.

So what does it mean to us that Mary is the Mediatrix of All Graces? If the prayers of the saints and our prayers can make a difference in the lives of others, how much more can Mary’s intercession make a difference, especially since She mediates every grace that comes to us from God. In another words, what ever we ask of God, we should ask it of Mary. The next time someone says, “Will you pray for me?” You can say, “Yes, I will pray for you, and I will ask Mary to mediate on your behalf, because every grace comes through Her intercession.”

Do we have problems in our marriage, ask Mary. Financial difficulties, ask Mary. A friend suffering from addiction, ask Mary. If we have trouble in our relationships, ask Mary. If we want to overcome a particular sin, ask Mary. If we need a job, ask Mary. If have health problems and need strength to endure them, ask Mary.

If you are a young person struggling with Algebra or some other class or teacher ask Mary. When I was in seminary I became very ill from a medicine I took. I had terrible abdominal pain and could not study for a Latin test that I had the next day. In the morning, I prayed to Mary asking her to help me on my test and consecrated it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Just before the class, I studied six Latin words and memorized them. Then when I went to take the test, those were the only six words on the whole test and ended up getting an A+. While other seminarians stayed up late studying and tried to memorize many more words and didn’t do so well as I. Mary interceded for me.

If we have family members, who have fallen away from the Church, ask Mary. If we desire an end to wars, if we want peace among nations, if we anything, no matter what, we should ask Mary, especially by adding our petitions to Her petitions before we pray our daily Rosary.

“O Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, we ask you to mediate by your prayers, petitions and supplications on our behalf. We believe every grace comes through you and from your Son, Jesus, the one mediator between God and man. We entrust all our needs, all our cares and concerns, all our worries, everything to you. O Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us, who have recourse to thee!”