"is your imagination or construction such that you think, beileve, imagine that Mary has the authority, agency, role of functionally doing the saving?"
No, but it sure looks that way, doesn't it! By the way, it reads the same in Greek as it does in English. The Orthodox understanding of the prayer is as a plea to one whom we call upon regularly to intercede for us. The "save us" is in the sense of sending out an SOS, which isn't addressed to Christ either and doesn't mean literally "Save Our Souls".
Quix, its another one of those "mindset" things. We Orthodox know what we mean, but trust me, I can fully understand why someone else wouldn't. We don't believe that the Theotokos is our "Salvation" or "Savior" in the sense we use those terms here on this thread anymore than you do.
= = =
Sorry, I don't buy it.
WORDS HAVE IMPACT. They CERTAINLY have impact in the spiritual realm.
But they also have impact on both the conscious and unconscious personal mind.
REPEATED WORDS HAVE GREAT IMPACT.
So, to assert to me that REPEATEDLY SAYING such things year in and year out leaves one believing something different???
I don't buy it. I don't believe it. I'm too good a psychologist to buy that notion.
I can believe that one might rationalize the inner gestalt, the inner mind set that such repeated phrases result in and further that one might deny the full implications of it. I can believe that.
But I don't believe there's NO such inner spiritual/mental/belief impact from repeatedly saying such phrases. Does not wash with all I know about humans and their minds, spirits and psychologies.
"Does not wash with all I know about humans and their minds, spirits and psychologies."
OK