Salus: health and salvation in Mariology

In times of pandemic, words may not always be the most appropriate in light of the necessary silence and respect for those who suffer or are ‘wounded healers.’

Regarding Mariology, the first thing is to place the Mother not in the valley of tears but in the promised land. For Christians, it is spontaneous to turn to the Mother of Jesus in moments of pain, as she also suffered during her earthly existence and intercedes for the health of her children or even for their sanctification amidst illness. The sight of patients confiding in Mary’s maternal protection in a hospital bed has become, in these months, a routine that revives in the 3rd millennium the presence of Mary as a living person with simplicity and trust in the face of adversity.

We pose the question: how can we find theology in these acts of ‘popular piety’? Recalling Francis Suarez’s (d. 1617) statement: «Piety without truth is weak, while truth without pity is sterile and empty», we will attempt to present the relationship between Mary and health that shares the same root as the word Salvation: salus.

Salvation

When we speak of salvation in a plural society like the one we live in, our starting point cannot be contemporary culture but Revelation. The cosmic salvation believed in by Mesopotamian religions developed into liberation from the cyclical time, an element of Asian religions, until it reached the current participation in divine life announced by monotheistic religions. We distinguish ourselves from these theological visions because we start from the Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, Son of God, and there was Mary.

When we delve into Christian salvation, it is common to think of divine filiation as an interior grace that stands apart from natural order and even conflicts with it. This very Latin view of Christian Revelation has been increasingly challenged in the 20th century by a distinction that looks at creation as a blessed gift that considers nature as a free gift from God and a path towards transcendence for fullness. We can then speak of a unity between God’s creative action and salvation that opens humanity (creature) to God (Creator) in a way that progresses throughout history toward justice in hearts and structures to realize the Kingdom of God.

# Salvation: A Comprehensive UnderstandingIn reality, when we say salvation, we are not merely referring to the salvation of the soul or the individual liberation from a sinful world desiring death for an escape. Nor can we solely equate consolation for a troubled conscience as salvation. The realization of hope for justice, the humanization of man, and the peace of all creation more closely aligns with this reconciliation between God and humanity achieved through Jesus. So, where does Mary fit into this vision of salvation, and what significance does she hold? The solution lies in returning to Sacred Scripture to find support from Trinitarian Revelation for understanding the essence of salvation.## Back to Biblical SourcesThe term *salvation* appears at least 150 times in the New Testament, signifying *happiness*, *peace*, *communion with God*, *health*, *liberation*, and *grace*. Two specific aspects will guide our exploration: *disease* and *bondage*. When we speak of salvation, we are referring to the opposite of the human condition as a creature and sinner. New Testament salvation differs from the Old Testament in that it goes beyond simply liberating us from enemies to serve God in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:69-71). Neo-Testament salvation presents remission of sins (Luke 1:77), the birth of water and Spirit (John 3:5) that makes us children of God (Galatians 3:26) and new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17).Knowing that salvation is escatological in its fullness, a result of *the Day of the Lord* (1 Corinthians 5:5) for all who persevere to the end (Mark 13:13), we cannot obscure the vital pursuit of justice, universal and sympathetic love for the needy. Therefore, salvation unfolds in each believer’s life throughout history as a *present event*: *today salvation has come into this house* (Luke 19:9), ‘behold, now is the time of salvation’ (2 Corinthians 6:2). A conception of salvation that excludes its historical and vital impact will fall into an ideology that postpones *the already* of salvation to an uncertain future.## Salvation as a Dialogue EventThe Revelation offering salvation arises from a history, not merely from a conceptual framework as dogmatics might present it. This event is a dialogue between God and humanity, encompassing facts, words, and meditations. Concepts like Alliance or Election provide insights but do not fully capture the structure of this occurrence because the Bible presents not only God but also humanity, their encounter, and the outcome of human salvation.# The Dialogue of Salvation and Blessing from GodThe dialogue is that of salvation and blessing from God in the New Testament, which liberates from sin, the law, and death (Rom 7:6; 8:2), and involves communion with the Father through Christ in the Spirit (Eph 2:18). The voice of the Father, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven through Christ (Eph 1:3), calls us to walk in holiness and love through adoption as children. Human response then completes this dialogue when it reflects on God’s great interventions in history (the Magnificat), testifies to the living God in their lives, and offers true worship in spirit and truth. This is our understanding of salvation, which we will now present in a mariological context.## Mary: A Unique Place in Salvation HistoryThe Mother of Jesus holds a singular position in salvation history. We can say that all elements of the experience of Israel’s people, heightened to fullness with the gospel news, find their supreme expression in Mary’s creative life. Following Sacred Scripture, we can outline some characteristics of Mary that shape her role in the work of salvation:### Mary’s Experience of SalvationWhen we examine Luke’s interpretation of the angelic announcement and Mary’s visit to Elizabeth through the Magnificat, we encounter the earliest Marian theology. The pneumatological explanation of what transpired leads Mary to testify to the experience of “my God, my Savior” (Lk 1:47). Mary’s experience is the benevolent gaze of God upon those who are poor in YHWH—the weak and forsaken. Mary exists under God’s watchful eye, which directs His love toward her, allowing her to participate actively in the salvation of a people. This obedience leads to the blessing pronounced by Elizabeth: “Blessed are you among women… blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:42, 45).### Mary’s Experience of BlessingBlessing is a gift related to life and its mystery. God is the source of blessing because He is the source of life (Ps 36:10). Therefore, when it is said, “blessed are you among women,” it means that God blessed her more than all other women, for the fruit in her womb is not just any life but the Author of life, the Son of God most high (Lk 1:32-35, 37, 49). The origin of this “Life” comes from the powerful force of the Holy Spirit, to whom nothing is impossible (Lk 1:35, 37, 49). Indeed, Mary is blessed in her womb that became divinely fertile, and also in her heart renewed by the Spirit, anticipating the fulfillment of Christ’s promises to His faithful. When we reflect, in light of what we have affirmed previously, on the “kecharitomene,” we see it as meaning “permanently blessed with God’s love through the transformation that blesses her, making her also a daughter of His Son” (Eph 1:5).### Mary’s Response: Word, Action, and MeditationMary’s response is one of word, action, and meditation. The word she utters in the Magnificat is a profound expression of God’s goodness to her and all generations (Lk 1:46-55). Her actions demonstrate obedience and faith, such as visiting Elizabeth despite her advanced age (Lk 1:39-40). Meditation on these events leads her to internalize them, making her heart one with Christ’s.What is the Virgin Mary’s response to God’s salvific and blessed action? Mary participates responsibly in the dialogue with God by reacting with turmoil and asking for explanations, offering the perfect faith consensus. Her full availability in adhering to the divine word transmitted by the angel leaves us still today amazed by the feminine genius that embraces: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).To this response, Mary’s worship and life clearly corresponded, along with a particular contemplation, as Luke describes Mary as a thoughtful woman who meditates in the “silence of her heart” (Lk 2:19.51). The Mariological tradition still preserves the title of Mary as a woman of the wise heart and memory because she transforms history into consciousness. The events of Jesus are remembered by Mary, who repeats within herself the sapiential itinerary that configures and characterizes the spiritual face of Israel.We can thus conclude that Mary is this image of salvation that represents concretely and vividly salvation as a dialogue between God and man. In Mary, God’s action becomes transparency of the mystery, for she is saved and blessed: be it from her beginning as Immaculate, or from her earthly end as glorified Assumption, Mary illuminates each man’s vocation to be a son through the Son of God the Father by means of the Holy Spirit.In the next article, we will discuss the relationship between Mary and Health.