Sommaire
“To intercede” means to intervene on behalf of someone. The intercession (or mediation) of the Saints is a reality wanted by God and revealed through the scriptures (see 1 Timothy 2,1-3; Ephesians 6,18-19 etc…) God has decided Mary’s Intercession to be almighty with Him, and that she should become the Great Mediator of the Graces.
“I am the Great Mediator of Graces. The Father wants the world to acknowledge this position of His Maid (…) As the world can find no mercy from the Father unless through the Son’s sacrifice, likewise, you will not be granted besides the Son unless through my intercession. If the Christ is so unknown, it is because I am not known” (Mary in Marienfried).
Our Lady of the Trinity:
Father’s daughter, Spirit’s bride and Son’s mother
Mary intercedes by her nature and by her role
Her Immaculate Conception
In Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin declared: “I am the Immaculate Conception”. This Truth revealed by Heaven Itself was and remains supported by miracles. “You are wholly beautiful, my beloved, and without a blemish“ the Song of Songs says (4,7). Mary has been preserved from the stain of the original sin in function of God’s plan as the Koran confirms: “Oh Mary, God has chosen you. He has made you pure and exalted you above womankind…” (Koran III; The ‘Imrans, 42). In his noble discussions the prophet Mohammad adds: “No man is born unless the devil wounds him since his birth and he shouts loud because of this satanic wound except Mary and her Son”. Since then she never stopped to be in perfect harmony with the Father’s Will.
Mary is therefore the only totally pure voice interceding for us.
For She is “Full of Graces”
This purity has been accompanied by an infinite number of graces. Indeed, according to the testimony of Gabriel, sent by the Father, Mary is “full of graces” (Luke 1, 28). No one has never deserved to be greeted in such a way by an Archangel. Mary overflows with graces and spills the excess over us.
By her fidelity to God’s plan
Mary was in Father’s plan since the world foundation (See Genesis 3,15). Since the announce of her pregnancy by Gabriel, Mary has shown her fidelity to God’s plan (see Luke 1,26-56). In fact from the moment she has understood, she has believed and she has abandoned herself to the Father’s Will. Before the greatness of what has been announced to her, she has not hesitated: “You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said”. Padre Pio has underlined the importance of Mary’s”fiat“, latin word meaning “be”: “by a yes, by a yes only, Mary becomes the Mother of the Most High. By this yes from Mary the world obtains the salvation, humanity is redeemed” (Padre Pio, A thought each day).
Entirely devoted to the Father as nobody else, This One cannot refuse her anything.
Because all generations will call her “blessed”
Elisabeth under the action of the Holy Spirit declared “Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1, 45). And Mary in her deep humbleness recognized thanks to the Holy Spirit: “Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1, 48).
Because she is the Mother of us all
By becoming the Messiah’s mother, Mary has become the mother of all believers: a spiritual motherhood that raise us to the Father.
Jesus on the cross left us Mary. After making us discover God as our Father (Matthew 6,9), He offered us a mother, His mother. In an ultimate effort He was anxious to say to John, and through John to us all, these words like a testament: “This is your mother” (John 19,25-27). On the cross He bequeathed to us the most precious person: Mary, His mother, His most beautiful gift. It is only after having pronounced these words that He declared“It is all fulfilled”. “And from that hour the disciples took her into his home…”
Mary is God’s supreme gift on the cross to all true believers.
In His infinite generosity Jesus gave Mary’s motherhood to all His true disciples, to all those who pass themselves to do the Father’s Will. Moreover after Jesus’ passion the Apostles gathered around her: “With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brother” (Acts 1,12-14). It had to be reassuring for the Apostles to be with the one who had such an affective and spiritual intimacy with the Messiah.
Who can intercede with the Father for her children better than a mother?
Mary intercedes thanks to the special link uniting her to her Son
Mary’s particularity and her intercession power lie as well in the special link uniting her to her Son. A link making them indefectibly united even in the final trial that Jesus endured.
Her union in spirit with her Son even before the cross
During all His childhood Jesus, Son of God, was submitted to Mary the Immaculate Conception (See Luke 2,46-52). Nevertheless, since His birth in a poor place up to the teachings to the doctors at the Temple, Jesus upset her mentality of young Jewish girl; Mary let herself be moulded because “she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2,51).
It has been this perfect union of heart and spirit with her Son during 30 years that has led her to be with her Son just before the cross.
At the presentation of Jesus, a small child, at the temple, the prophet Simeon had said to Mary: “Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce your soul too so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare“ (Luke 2,34-35). Simeon therefore has shown prophetically that those who would have pierced Jesus’ hands and feet, would have pierced Mary’s heart too, and that the sharing of our Holy Mother’s Pain is a criteria for selecting the chosen ones, because it reveals the hearts.
No one suffered more than her for the torment endured by her Son.
Perfectly faithful to God’s plan, she did not try to avert his crucifixion.
She was present before the cross assisting to the put to death of her Son.
Her love went even beyond, preferring, like her Son, the complete surrendering to the divine will to save humanity. When put down of the cross it was Mary to receive Him in her arms (John 19,25-27).
She intercedes now with Jesus on behalf of all her children because He cannot refuse anything, and He has never refused anything, to the one who has participated to and has endured in her heart the Calvary of His crucifixion.
The example of the wedding at Cana
The episode of the wedding at Cana (John 2,1-12) is a demonstration of the power of intercession of the Virgin and of the deep intimacy with her Son.
In Cana the Virgin Mary intervened with Jesus so that He would turn the water into wine. She had pity for the guests who, in a joyful wedding atmosphere, had no more wine to drink a toast to the new bridegroom. Mary’s question is subtle, indirect, but Jesus understands immediately His Mother demand (verse 3 and 4). We can imagine the exchange of looks among them, and a little later without other words, Mary said to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you” (verse 5). She had realized that her Son had accepted. By guiding the servants to follow Jesus’ directives, though His tender and deeply respectful protest, she showed her absolute certitude to be exhausted. She knew her Son’s power (verses 4 and 5). By accepting her demand Jesus anticipated the divine plan and “He revealed His glory” (verse 11). This episode reveals the degree of complicity and love uniting Mary to her Son, and also the reason why she is exhausted like no other.
Mary’s request comes from the Holy Spirit as it is motivated by love and compassion. She takes care of her children for the material things also. If she pitied people lacking wine, the more Mary will intercede when the circumstances are painful for her ones.
Mary sympathizes with her children, feels their pain, justify their situation and gets always what is good for them accordino to our Father’s plan.
Conclusion
Like no other Mary can obtain everything from the Father through her Son’s intercession. Born Immaculate she said yes to God’s plan allowing the Word to incarnate. Living in His intimacy, she has faithfully meditated and kept all His words, letting herself be moulded by the Holy Spirit. She has become the perfect accomplice of her Son in His Mission, and has endured in her mother soul His torment. At the Cross feet she has become co-redeemer and depository of all graces. As Mother of all believers along the ages, she pours them upon all those invoking her with Love.
The Father refuses her nothing, because what she asks is always in the direction of the Holy Spirit “that makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words” (Romans 8,26).
21.05.2011
