Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This is absolutely correct .... No one comes to the Father except through Christ. Sometimes, the more 'resistant' need a little help. That is where Mary comes in. She draws people to her Son. Mary always points to her Son, as exemplified in this icon.
He is the source of salvation, not Mary.
No one comes to the Father except through Christ. Sometimes, the more 'resistant' need a little help. Are you saying that an all powerful God, all knowing, and an all merciful and loving God needs supernatural help to draw humanity to Himself?
I believe that God works through His children here on earth to draw non-believers to Him. Christ gave to some the gift the evangelizing. Eph 4:11 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,”
He is the source of salvation, not Mary. I would say that Christ is not only the source, but He is salvation: Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
I honor Mary as I do the Apostles who gave their lives for their faith, but I pray according to the example that Christ gave us. ie: to the Father (God) in His (Christ's) name. Which is not to say that there is a formula for prayer. I choose to pray to God as if I were speaking to Him in His presence, but I am quite sure that God, being merciful, all loving and just considers the condition of ones faith in Him important, and perhaps more important that the words.
John 16:24 "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Pardon my entering your discussion, but this is a huge leap - to say that Mary draws people to her son. It is a leap apart from scripture - icon or no. And it is emblamatic of the troubles Catholics have with theology and why a group like Bethany has a doctrinal statement that they know you don't agree with - despite using similar words.