Christ Is Our Mediator

By Sal Ciresi
^{HERALD Columnist}

Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 667).

The above passage from the Cathechism of the Catholic Church speaks of Our Lord's work of redemption, a concept previously mentioned, which is an integral part of the liturgical season of Lent. We shall now discuss Our Lord's role as "mediator," and look at the wonderful spiritual benefits this office of Our Lord and Savior bestows on the faithful, by His mediation.

"For there is one God," St. Paul writes, "and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5). The theological term "mediator" has a similar meaning to its usage in the secular world. A mediator reconciles two parties at variance. Christ is the intermediary between perfect Divinity (cf. Mt 5:48), and sinful mankind (cf. Eph 2:1-7). We see this same kind of "legal" terminology utilized by St. John. "I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the expiation for our sins" (l Jn 2:1-2).

Not only is Our Lord our mediator, closing the wall of separation we have in relation to the Father, but He is forever offering up prayers to the Father on our behalf (cf. Heb 7:23-25). St. Paul writes, "Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised , who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us" (Rom 8:34). Let's examine the spiritual benefits of Christ Jesus as our mediator.

Sacred Scripture gives explicit instruction concerning intercessory prayer for one another. St. Paul tells us: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving, and pray for us also" (Col 4:23). We hear a similar exhortation in Timothy 2:1 when St. Paul writes "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men."

If prayers we offer on earth for each other are beneficial, how much more efficacious are Our Lord's prayers! This should be a tremendous comfort to us in our times of trial and tribulations in daily life. On occasion, we may have certain prayer intentions we request from friends, perhaps to get through a time of crisis. Keep in mind, Our Lord can pray for us too (cf. Jn 17:20). Although prayer requests are not always answered in a manner we desire, we know God always gives us the answer that is best for us. This is why our first Pope tells us "Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you" (1 Pet 5:7).

Another spiritual benefit derived from Our Lord's role as mediator is the fact that He is the new head of the human race. The first head of the human race was Adam. In the order of nature, all men are descendants from Adam (cf. Lk. 3:23-38). He was created by God Himself to be man's supernatural head (cf. Gen 1:26-28), receiving the gift of divine sonship; the gift of sanctifying grace.

Through sin, this gift of sanctifying grace was lost (cf. Gen 2:15-17). As a result, original sin is passed down to the entire human race, the exceptions being Our Lord Himself, and the glorious and immaculate Blessed Virgin Mary. This first sin is the cause of the great separation between God and man.

A remedy for all this is the new head of the human race. "The first Adam became a living being," St. Paul writes, "the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit" (1 Cor 15 45). We read similar statements in Colossians 1:18: "He is the head of the body, the Church." Part of Christ's work of redemption is His Divine Headship.

By Christ's life, death and resurrection, we now have access to the graces obtained through His work as mediator, and as the new head of the human race. St. Teresa of Avila once said Our Lord has so many graces to give to us; the problem is that we do not ask for it. For this Easter season, let us turn to our mediator Christ the Savior.

Ciresi is vice president of Catholic Apologetics International.

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