The feast of the Visitation.
Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces.
Today used to be known as the feast of Mary, Mediatrix, although during the reign of Pius XII, it became the feast of the Queenship of Mary. After the Council, when the liturgical calendar was reformed, the 31 of May became the feast of the Visitation.
Our Lady had been chosen Mother of Christ “in order that she might become a partner in the redemption of the human race”.
Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth — and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul — let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which is not wickedness unpunished nor freedom without restraint, but a well-ordered harmony under the rule of the will of God; to its safeguarding and growth the gentle urgings and commands of the Virgin Mary impel us. - Ad Caeli Reginam - Pius XII
Thus we see, that the understanding of Our Lady as Mediatrix, Co-Redemptrix, and Advocate is not a new development in Mariology, but has been accepted by the Church for centuries, and often referenced by the popes. I believe St. Alphonsus Liguori, as well as many other saints, often referred to Our Lady using these titles.
Protestant influences.
Of course the Protestant reformation attempted to do away with these notions, emphasizing Christ as the one Mediator, Redeemer, and Advocate before the Father - which indeed He is. Therefore, as some say, Vatican II, in order to appease Protestant sensitivities, avoided any emphasis upon these venerable titles of Our Lady.
In the United States especially, where the Catholic Church and the faithful have been contaminated by Protestant thought, these attributes are greatly misunderstood.
Where is it in the Bible?
However, if one meditates today’s Gospel, one can see how fitting these titles are for the Blessed Virgin. As the Mother of God, she carried in her womb, as in a tabernacle, the God-man. Her visit to Elizabeth served the Divine plan in so far as - through her mediation - she brought the Son of God to the infant John, while yet enclosed in the womb of his mother, whereby he was sanctified through the merits of Jesus Christ. Just so, if one considers the Gospel of the wedding at Cana, one also witnesses how the Mother of God, Mother of Divine Grace, exercises her privilege as mediatrix when she tells Our Lord, “They have no wine.” Our Lord responds by dispensing wine (Grace) in abundance.
Considering the erosion of traditional Catholic faith and devotion, it seems to me the time has come that these things concerning the role of the Mother of God in our salvation may be officially defined and explained by the Sacred Magisterium of the Church. Several Bishops and Cardinals are currently asking that this role of Our Lady be defined as dogma, as have many of the laity.
Links:
Philosophical and Personalist Foundations of a Marian Doctrine
