LOL! I'm afraid my knee-jerk reaction would be quite unoriginal for a Protestant. I would make a strong distinction in my mind between phrases like this and "Most Holy Theotokos, pray for our salvation". To me, the supplications appear to be immeasurably different. One asks for the action of prayer for salvation by God, and one asks for salvation itself, appearing that Mary could possibly have anything to do with saving us today.
"I would make a strong distinction in my mind between phrases like this and "Most Holy Theotokos, pray for our salvation". To me, the supplications appear to be immeasurably different. One asks for the action of prayer for salvation by God, and one asks for salvation itself, appearing that Mary could possibly have anything to do with saving us today."
Of course you would make such a distinction! You couldn't do otherwise. The veneration of Panagia is not for those who are not Latin, Oriental or Orthodox Christians. Once people have been fully converted to what we all believe is The Church, the love of the Panagia follows naturally. A very wise Greek Orthodox priest and marvelous pastor once explained the quoted refrain thusly, while advising that the Akathist is really no place for the heterodox for exactly the reasons your reaction demonstrates.
"The pious (Orthodox/Catholic) believer knows firsthand that Jesus is his Savior, but the drowning man does not cry out to the lifeguard, "Intercede for me!"