The Catholic Church in no way deifies Mary. We in no way, shape, or form believe that she is God, ever was God, or ever will become God. She is in no way equal to God. We simply believe that because she is Jesus' mother, she is worthy of honor. Not the honor due to God alone, but the honor of being His mother and the "first Christian". Just as you would honor your best friend's mother, you should honor Jesus' mother if you consider Him to be your friend.
And just as, under some circumstances, you might ask your best friend's mother to encourage your friend to do something for you, you might also ask Jesus' mother to encourage Jesus to do something for you.
It is in that spirit that we Catholics honor and pray to Mary.
The words of the first half of the Hail Mary prayer come directly from the Gospel. The second half comes from our heart.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Directly from the Gospel.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Actually, this part is based on Scripture, too... The intercession of Mary on behalf of the hosts of the wedding feast at Cana. With the confidence that comes from that example, its specific wording comes from our heart.
Your not fooling anyone other than other Catholics. One only needs to go to Catholic prayer sites to see that Catholics indeed do pray TO Mary asking her to do things. The words of those prayers assume she has the same powers as God has. Catholics need to stop using that "we don't pray to her" line. By the Catholic Churches own admission they do indeed pray TO Mary.
Except inasmuch as they claim that Mary was sinless. Only Christ was sinless.
Mary was a sinner, just like you and I and every other human being who has ever lived on this earth, excepting only the Son of God.
There are no other exceptions, including Mary.
To claim that Mary was not deified is to tacitly accept the fact that she, too, was a sinner, just like all the other Saints.
Why Catholics find it necessary to cling to such an obvious fallacy as the sinlessness of Mary is beyond me. Nothing said regarding Mary in the New Testament supports the outlandish notion that she was somehow a second example of a sinless human being. That characteristic adheres solely to Christ, and there is absolutely no basis for extending the concept beyond Him.
Indeed, the sinlessness of Mary is a man made addition to scripture, and as such, it is a false teaching.
It's unfortunate that the Catholic Church has so heavily conditioned its membership into believing such a clearly man-made doctrine.
IMHO, it is an example of the intrusion of Goddess mythology into Christendom...
Wrong!
Your "version" of the Bible is different than the actual Bible.
You wrongly attempt to treat Luke 1:28 as a title when in fact it is not. The angel did not use Mary's name in Luke 1:28.
Only two versions of the Bible, Douay Rheims and the Aramaic Bible in Plain English, use the words, full of grace.
You will also notice that Jesus is not at the end of Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. It has been added by the rcc.
So to say this is straight from the Bible is wrong and deceptive at best.
Below are the actual verses from the Bible. All verses are NASB.
Luke 1:28 “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:39-42
39Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Dude, it's more than in spirit you catholics pray and worship Mary.