Jesus Christ alone is the necessary and principal intercessor but it is no insult to Him when we present Him with our request through Our Lady or the saints who reign with Him in Heaven. Since all merit depends upon His merits and every expiation upon His infinite satisfactions, there is consequently no intercession that does not draw its worth from Him. He is always implicitly invoked, even if our demand is only addressed to one saint.
Mary is united to Christ for the Distribution of Grace
As collaborator with Christ in the acquisition of grace, the Blessed Virgin must remain united with Him in the distribution of those same benefits, for the latter role is a consequence of the former. Like Her Son, She is always at least implicitly invoked in every prayer.
One can pray explicitly to the Blessed Virgin, and in that case it is natural that the favour asked be granted us by her mediation.
Or one could address oneself to one of the saints, who becomes our intermediary before the Queen, and then again it is She who obtains the grace.
Our Lady is thus always implicitly invoked in every prayer. As St Peter Damian declares, in Her hands are the treasures of the Lord’s mercies. St Bernard goes on to exclaim that God has placed in Mary the plenitude of every good, and He wills that we receive everything, all the treasures of Divine grace, from Her hands. “God,” says St Bernard, “has decreed that nothing reach us without passing through the hands of Mary.”
Or, divine aid could be given to us without any demand on our part, just like the first grace, or the illuminations or inspirations which so frequently arise in the course of our life and inform our intellect and will, or like those pious movements of our soul which are freely accepted but for which we have not asked. Even in the case of such favours, Our Lady is the mediator.
She Distributes Graces in the Particular
Each grace in particular, for each individual person, whether it is a favour begged by our own prayers or a gift considerate and unasked-for, is due to the constant intercession of the Blessed Virgin. This is the case even of sacramental grace, for it is the Mother of God who procures for us the ministers of the sacrament and the dispositions to be admitted to the sacred ritual with profit.
Without exception, no grace descends from heaven upon earth without having passed through the hands of Mary, by her present mediation.
“O Virgin, if you keep silent, no other saint could either pray for or aid us; as soon as you pray, the rest can both pray for us and come to our aid.” – St Anselm
The Feast of the Holy Rosary Celebrated in St Dominic’s College
Mass ended on a happy note, as we sang O Queen of the Holy Rosary (Tune: Ellacombe).
May Our Lady of the Rosary continue to pray for us – for every grace, for perseverance, and growth in virtue!
Deo gratias!
