[Forest Keeper]

God is love. Sanctity is goal. Christ leads. Cross shows the way. Suffering is fellowship with Christ. Etc. This is not scriptural, -- these are bumper stickers. Or if you prefer a more dignified term, these are instincts.

These are not scriptural? I must not understand what you mean. Here are two for just the first one:

1 John 4:8, 16 : 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ... 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

It is Mary that guides, really. Because, just like the Filipino ladies with their rosaries, this Russian 50+ year old male cannot identify with the Divine in a sterile way. I can only get to Christ through Mary, as a man, husband, and parent.

Thank you for your whole answer. Here, I'm sure there is Tradition that supports coming to Christ through Mary. However, this would seem to contradict the scriptures, such as 1 Tim. 2:5. Therefore, your entire post leads me to conclude that Tradition is paramount in inanimate authority, and the scripture just needs to be read in light of this Tradition in order to know what it means. Tradition does not appear to depend on scripture because so much of it is not in scripture. However, the reverse does seem to be true, scriptural interpretation does appear to depend on Tradition because the two must match.

[annalex]

I meant that these instincts are in me and I do not internally need to verify them with scripture. Just like I don't need to read the car manual to make turns and shift gears. Of course, if need be I could verify these instincts with scripture, but there is rarely a need.

5 For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: 6 Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times

(1 Timothy 2)

Once again, your prooftexting is out of context. Surely Our Lady did not gave herself in redemption, nor in testomony. I know that. She mediates to Christ Who mediates to God the Father. And not she alone, I have attachment to many saints; I spoke of my attachment to St. Francis for example on this thread. I ask them to pray for me and I pray for others too. This is how the Communion of Saints operates.

scripture just needs to be read in light of this Tradition in order to know what it means. Tradition does not appear to depend on scripture because so much of it is not in scripture. However, the reverse does seem to be true, scriptural interpretation does appear to depend on Tradition because the two must match.

Yes. Of course.