Hey Mr Rogers...:)
“Pearls before swine...yes, indeed.”
Casting such a beautiful pearl as the Blessed Mother is like casting pearls before swine on this forum.
The Bible actually has quite a bit to say about Mary, both explicitly in the New Testament and implicitly (prophetically) in the Old Testament. In the New Testament Mary is present at almost every major event in the life of Jesus:
His conception (Luke 1:2)
His development in the womb, including the fetal development of John the Baptist (Lk 1:43)
His birth (Lk 2:7)
Offering Him to God (Lk 2:22)
Early childhood (Lk 2:22-38)
His confirmation at 12 years old (Lk 2:49)
His start in public ministry and the first of his miracles, which she instigated. (Wedding at Cana Jn 2:3)
His death on Calvary (Jn 19:26)
The birth of the Church at the Pentecost (Acts 1:14).
I hardly think of these as a “few tiny references.” Mary’s role is infinitely greater than Jabez who won so much attention from many Evangelicals.
Mary said “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you to do.” (Jn:2:3)
She’s the first person in history to say this about Jesus.
Adrian Rogers, the famous Evangelical pastor, said “This is the best advice that anyone has ever given anyone!” (Apr. 13, 2009 Radio show)
And Jesus went ahead and turned the water into wine even though a minute earlier, he said “what has that to do with.”
Do whatever He tells you...
I have no complaints about Mary being a remarkable woman. I think it is safe to assume that God didn’t pick her name out at random from a phone book.
But of course, Catholic teaching and doctrine goes well beyond saying she was a remarkable woman, deserving honor and respect.