Even though Jesus is the one true light, still some bodies with no light of their own reflect better than others. They may all reflect but some more brightly than others. The moon, thought bright, has parts of its surface darker than others, but it all the one sun.
AS to thinking about or experiencing the care of Mary in the terms which beachdweller used, I know from my experience that she herself reaches into lives and brings people to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. I was praying the rosary off and on more than 20 years before I became RC and at least 15 years before I even considered it seriously. And I was given my first rosary and taught how to pray it by someone who was neither Orthodox nor Catholic.
So the evidence given of devotion and respect for Mary does not in itself suggest a lot of attendance at an RC or Orthodox Church.
If in the quote you give " a righteous man" may be a woman, then we're okay on the prayer of Mary availing much.
By the Assumption we mean that Mary is already in her "resurrection body", while, in our view, most of the faithful have to wait until judgment day to get their resurrection bodies. Do Baptists hold that the blessed have their resurrection bodies right after they die or before judgment day?
I thought I'd already attempted this response, but it seems I lost it somehow ....
By this I assume you mean you were attending an RC church but hadn't formally joined. If not, how did you learn the rosary and what drove you to say it for so many years before going to an RC church?
If in the quote you give " a righteous man" may be a woman
Yes, the word 'man' there would certainly appear to be generic and refer to humankind, not to males only.
By the Assumption we mean that Mary is already in her "resurrection body", while, in our view, most of the faithful have to wait until judgment day to get their resurrection bodies.
Ah, I see. Well, I'm sure you know that Protestants don't adhere to that belief.
Do Baptists hold that the blessed have their resurrection bodies right after they die or before judgment day?
They believe (as all Protestants do that I know of) that we will receive our incorruptible bodies all at once. The only exceptions to that, of course, would be Jesus and possibly others that the bible specifically mentions. (Example: Enoch appears to have been translated or 'raptured' or whatever term one wishes to use.)