If Mary’s yes is our yes, and her cooperation is our cooperation; then, there would be no need for us to individually repent and draw close to God in order for us to be His habitation. Mary’s yes opened up mankind to the possibility of repentance: but we have to say our own yes as Mary did.
Catholicism is a both/and faith. Not an either or. More than that, it is bound up in a theology of participation. Mary can give her consent on behalf of mankind while at the same time, each individual person must contribute their own yes. At the end of the day, you and I did not consent to give Christ humanity. Only Mary did. But she offers consent on our behalf. Just as Christ offers Himself as sacrifice on our behalf. If there was no theology of participation, then each of us would have to die on the cross. But we don’t. We participate in His sacrifice, most especially, through the sacraments.
Mary offered her consent on our behalf; and Christ offered Himself as sacrifice on our behalf. The sacraments presuppose faith which opens us up to the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice. The sacraments are empty rituals without faith. The primary sacrament associated with our salvation is Baptism. The presence of Christ’s Spirit is supposed to be within us at all times, and isn’t supposed to come and go in-between our participation in sacraments. It keeps us in the state of grace apart from the sacraments.
But the presence of Christ does go if we commit mortal sin. Mortal sin places us in a state of contradiction to God. It destroys the virtue of Love and so He who is Love, cannot dwell within us until we return to Him, repentant, in the sacrament of Confession.
If Mary’s yes is our yes, and her cooperation is our cooperation; then, there would be no need for us to individually repent and draw close to God in order for us to be His habitation. Mary’s yes opened up mankind to the possibility of repentance: but we have to say our own yes as Mary did.
Catholicism is a both/and faith. Not an either or. More than that, it is bound up in a theology of participation. Mary can give her consent on behalf of mankind while at the same time, each individual person must contribute their own yes. At the end of the day, you and I did not consent to give Christ humanity. Only Mary did. But she offers consent on our behalf. Just as Christ offers Himself as sacrifice on our behalf. If there was no theology of participation, then each of us would have to die on the cross. But we don’t. We participate in His sacrifice, most especially, through the sacraments.
Mary offered her consent on our behalf; and Christ offered Himself as sacrifice on our behalf. The sacraments presuppose faith which opens us up to the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice. The sacraments are empty rituals without faith. The primary sacrament associated with our salvation is Baptism. The presence of Christ’s Spirit is supposed to be within us at all times, and isn’t supposed to come and go in-between our participation in sacraments. It keeps us in the state of grace apart from the sacraments.
But the presence of Christ does go if we commit mortal sin. Mortal sin places us in a state of contradiction to God. It destroys the virtue of Love and so He who is Love, cannot dwell within us until we return to Him, repentant, in the sacrament of Confession.
Amen!!!