This past week Fr. David Gunter came to St. Mary’s to speak about Mary and her “Triumph.” While this mission touched on many topics, I’d like to summarize a bit of it that I find particularly interesting – namely, the scriptural underpinnings of those roles we Catholics claim Mary has. Today, I’d like to pick out three of them: Mary as our spiritual mother, Mary as co-redemptrix, and Mary as the new Eve. We learn that Mary is our spiritual mother at the foot of the cross. It is from the cross that Jesus said to Mary and the beloved disciple, “Woman, behold, your son,” and “Behold, your mother” (Jn 19:26-27). Here Jesus was symbolically giving his mother as the mother of all believers. This is because “the beloved disciple,” whom tradition identifies as John, represents all disciples. St. John, it seems, wrote his gospel replacing his own name in every instance with “the beloved disciple.” In doing so, he made it clear that we are meant to put ourselves in his shoes. When we read, for example, that the beloved disciple reclined next to Jesus’ heart ant the Last Supper, we are supposed to understand that Jesus is inviting us to that same closeness. If it is the case the “the beloved disciple” stands for all of us disciples, then that means that Jesus gave Mary as Mother to all of us. Perhaps there are some who aren’t convinced by this. Well, fortunately, there is one more scripture verse that should remove all doubt. In Revelation 12, St. John (again), speaks of a vision he saw in which a woman gave birth to a child “who is to rule all the nations” and a dragon who unsuccessfully tried to devour the woman and child. The child, of course, is Jesus. And if this is the case, then that would make the woman Mary. But towards the end of the passage we read, “Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.” So there we have it – Mary’s offspring are the disciples of Jesus. That would make her our mother. At the foot of the cross is also where Mary fulfills her role as co-redemptrix. While this title of Mary has not been dogmatically declared yet, it has a strong basis in Catholic tradition. The meaning of the title is that she is an essential co-worker in Christ’s redemption. Unfortunately, at least in English, this title can sound like it means that Mary is co-equal to Christ in the work of redemption. This is not the case. Jesus is the redeemer par excellence. Mary participates in this work of redemption in a subordinate way. In some sense, we are all co-workers in Christ’s work of redemption. St. Paul indicates this when he says, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Col 1:24). And so, St. Paul seems to be saying that his own suffering is joined with the sufferings of Christ for the benefit of the Church. If this is the case, then how much benefit would Mary’s sufferings provide us when a prophecy of those sufferings was included in scripture. Simeon foretold to Mary, “you yourself a sword will pierce” (Lk 2:35). When did that sword pierce her? When else than at the foot of the cross, seeing her son die whom she knew and loved better than anyone? This brings us to the last title – Mary, the new Eve. Scripture describes Jesus as the new Adam (technically as the “last Adam” - 1 Cor 15:45). We know that the first Adam didn’t work alone. He, together with Eve, begot the human race. And He, together with Eve, sinned and corrupted the human race. So if there is a new Adam whose role is to renew the human race, it would make sense that there would be a new Eve who would be a “helper” in this work (Recall Genesis 2:18, “I will make a helper suited to him”). Recall that Eve was told that “in pain” she would bring forth children. Well, this just as truly applies to the new Eve. At the cross, her suffering has brought forth spiritual children. And so, has become the true “mother of the living” as Eve had been called (Gen 3:20) And so we’ve come full circle. Mary’s spiritual motherhood, her role in our redemption, and her suffering are all inseparably connected. What a joy and a comfort it is to have such a mother. -Fr. Sandquist