Mary in the Thought of Medieval Theologians

Much medieval though centred upon Mary as mediatrix, the following extracts give some indication of the general thought of medieval theologians on the place of Mary in both Christian life and Christian orthdoxy.

St. Peter Damien (1007-1072)

As the Son of God has designed to descend to us through you [Mary], so we also must come to him through you.
{Serm. 46, PL 144, 761B; in Miravelle, ibid., p. 283}

St. Anselm (c. 1033-1109)

I seek you help as being the best and most powerful, after your Son's, that this world can offer . . . What all others can do with you, you are able to do alone without the others . . . If you pray, everyone will pray, everyone will help.{PL 158:943-4; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 268}

God is the Father of all created things, and Mary is the Mother of all re-created things. God is the Father of the constitution of all things, and Mary is the Mother of the restitution of all things . . . For God generated him through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him through whom all things were saved.(Or. VII; in Graef, ibid., p. 213}

Eadmer (c. 1060-c.1128)

[Mary] merited to become most worthily the Reparatrix of the lost world.{De Excellentia Virg. Marie, c.9; cited by Pope St. Pius X, Ad diem illum, 1904; from Most, ibid., p. 284}

Rupert, Abbot of the Benedictines at Deutz (d. c. 1135)

Because there were truly 'pains as of a woman in labour' [Ps 47:7] and in the Passion of the only begotten Son the blessed Virgin brought forth the salvation of us all, she is obviously the Mother of us all.{Comm. in Jo., 13; PL 169: 789C; in Graef, ibid., p. 228}

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153)

God wished us to have nothing that would not pass through the hands of Mary.{Sermon on the Vigil of Christmas; PL 183,100; in Most, ibid., p. 48}

As every mandate of grace that is sent by a king passes through the palace-gates, so does every grace that comes from heaven to the world pass through the hands of Mary.
{Apud. S. Bernarin. Pro Fest. V. M. s.5, c.8; cited in St. Alphonsus de Liguori, ibid., ch. 5, p. 160}

Through her man was redeemed.
{Serm. 3 super Salve.; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 221}

St. Albert the Great (c. 1200-1280)

To her [Mary] alone was given this privilege, namely, a communication in the Passion; to her the Son willed to communicate the merit of the Passion, in order that He could give her the reward; and in order to make her a sharer in the benefit of Redemption. He willed that she be a sharer in the penalty of the Passion, in so far as she might become the Mother of all through re-creation even as she was the adjutrix of the Redemption by her co-passion. And just as the whole world is bound to God by His supreme Passion, so also it is bound to the Lady of all by her co-passion.{Mariale, Opera Omnia, v. 37, Q. 150, p. 219; in Miravelle, ibid., p. 259}

She sacrificed her own Son and the Son of God for us all, freely consenting to his Passion.{Mariale 51; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 238}

The Blessed Virgin is very properly called 'gate of heaven,' for every created or uncreated grace that ever came or will ever come into this world came through her.
{Mariale 147; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 250}

St. Bonaventure (c. 1217-1274)

Her only Son was being offered for the salvation of the human race; and so she did suffer, with Him, that, if it had been possible, she would have much more gladly suffered herself all the torments that her Son underwent.
{I Sent., d.48, ad Litt. dub.4; cited by Pope St. Pius X, Ad diem illum, 1904; from Most, ibid., p. 285}

Just as they [Adam and Eve] were the destroyers of the human race, so these [Jesus and Mary] were its repairers.
{Sermon 3 on the Assumption; Opera Omnia, v. 9, p. 695; in Miravelle, ibid., p. 259}

She paid the price [of Redemption] as a woman brave and loving - namely, when Christ suffered on the cross to pay that price in order to purge and wash and redeem us, the Blessed Virgin was present, accepting and agreeing with the divine will.{Collatio 6 de donis Spiritus Sancti, n.16; in Miravelle, ibid., p. 259}

As the moon, which stands between the sun and the earth, transmits to this latter whatever it receives from the former, so does Mary pour out upon us who are in the world the heavenly graces that she receives from the divine sun of justice.{Spann. Polyanth. litt. M. t.6; cited in St. Alphonsus de Liguori, ibid., ch. 5, pp. 159-160)

That woman (namely Eve) drove us out of Paradise and sold us; but this one brought us back again and bought us.(de don. Sp. S. 6; 14; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 221}

Abraham! You were willing to sacrifice your son, but you offered a ram! But this glorious Virgin scarificed her Son.
(de don. Sp. S., 6:17; in Friethoff, ibid., p. 238}

John Tauler, Dominican mystic (c. 1300-1360)

He foretold to you [Mary] all your passion whereby He would make you a sharer of all of His merits and afflictions, and you would co-operate with Him in the restoration of men to salvation.{Sermo pro festo Purificationis Beatæ Mariæ Virginis, in Miravelle, ibid., p. 259}

***First Recorded Use of Co-Redemptrix***

Although the concept was present earlier (as clearly demonstrated above), the first known use of the word itself appears in a liturgical book dating from the 14th century, found in St. Peter's in Salzburg, Austria:

Loving, sweet, and kind / Wholly undeserving of any sorrow / If henceforth you chose weeping / As one suffering with the Redeemer / For the captive sinner / Coredemptrix would you be.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 260}

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Every grace which is communicated to this world has a three-fold course. For, in accord with excellent order, it is dispensed from God to Christ, from Christ to the Virgin, from the Virgin to us . . . I do not hesitate to say that she has received a certain jurisdiction over all graces . . . They are administered through her hands.(Sermon V de nativiate B.M.V., cap. 8; op. omn., v.4 (Lugduni, 1650), p. 96; cited by Pope Leo XIII, Iucunda semper, 1894; first portion from Most, ibid., p. 49; second portion from Miravelle, ibid., p. 284}

For she is the neck of our Head, by which all spiritual gifts are communicated to His Mystical Body.
{de Evangelio aeterno, Serm. X, a.3, c.3; cited by Pope St. Pius X, Ad diem illum, 1904; in Most, ibid., p. 49}

V. Orthodox Theologians of the 14th Century

St. Gregory Palamas (d. 1359)

Mary is the cause of what had gone before her, the pioneer of what has come after her; she distributes eternal goods . . . She is the glory of earth, the joy of heaven, the ornament of all creation. She is the principle, the source, the root of ineffable good things. She is the summit and the fulfillment of all that is holy.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 135; from In Annunt., PG 151, 177B}

No divine gift can reach either angels or men, save through her mediation. As one cannot enjoy the light of a lamp . . . save through the medium of this lamp, so every movement towards God, every impulse towards good coming from him is unrealizable save through the mediation of the Virgin. She does not cease to spread benefits on all creatures . . .{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 136; Ed. of Sophocles Oikonomos, Athens, 1861, 159; PG 151, 472A}

Nicephorus Callistus (d. 1335)
 A Byzantine church historian,Nicephorus in his poems used titles such as Sovereign Lady, Queen, Helper, Mediatress of the faithful, Mediatress of the world, Consoler, and his favorite, Protectress.

Nicholas Cabasilas (d.c. 1390)

Being assumed as a helper not simply to contribute something as one moved by another, but that she should give herself and become the fellow-worker (sunergos) of God in providing for the human race, so that with him she should be an associate and sharer in the glory which would come from it.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 137; In Annunt. 4 PO 19, 499}

[Mary's partnership was] in all the sufferings and affliction, He, bound on the Cross, received the lance in his side; the sword as divinely inspired Symeon foretold, pierced her heart.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 137; In Dormit. 12, PO 19 508}

Isidore Glabas (d. 1397)

And truly the Virgin, without doubt, was for all a cause of restoration to a better state.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 138; PG 139, 13C}

Theophanes of Nicaea (d. 1381)

Just as she gave our nature directly to God the Word, so God the Word to her directly repaid the deification of all; just as the Son of God through the mediation of his own Mother receives from us our nature, so through her mediation we receive his deification. It is therefore impossible that anyone in any way may become a sharer in the gifts of God other than in the way that we have set forth.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 139; Sermo in Sanctissimam Deiparam, Lateranum, Nova Series, 1, Rome 1935, V, 55 (Fr. Martin Jugie) }

This neck [Mary] pleasing to God and illumined by the rays of the divine Spirit, alone truly preeminent over the whole Body, has no equal in order or place, but, as has been said, holds the place second in order, next after the Head, playing the part of intermediary and bond between the Head and the Body. Accordingly since, it has no equal, it becomes capable and receptive of the whole divine, life-giving fullness which from the head is communicated to all the members.{in Miravelle, ibid., pp. 139-140; from Jugie, ibid., X, 131}

She receives wholly the hidden grace of the Spirit and amply distributes it and shares it with others, thus manifesting it . . . [No one attains the fullness and the goal of life in Christ] without her cooperation or without the Spirit's help.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 141; from Jugie, ibid., XIV, 195}

[Mary] is the dispenser and distributor of all the wondrous uncreated gifts of the divine Spirit, which make us Christ's brothers and co-heirs, not only because she is granting the gifts of her natural Son to his brothers in grace, but also because she is bestowing them on these as her own true sons, though not by ties of nature but of grace.{in Miravelle, ibid., p. 141; from Jugie, ibid., XV, 205}