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There is much reason to celebrate parenthood, not least of which is that it has much to teach us about God.

(Mad Dawg wrote)I find nothing that tells me the road to salvation is anything other than straight and narrow

Yet it is entirely because of this that we need to avoid blurred lines with our theology. God provides all manner of trials and temptations to test and refine us, but we do not need to create more of them ourselves.

Our role is not to create more pitfalls and snares to lead people to heresy. Our role as followers of the Risen Lamb is to correct, rebuke, and encourage (2Ti 4:2), teaching obedience to His commandments (Mt 28:20).

There is a reason that James tells us teachers will be judged more harshly. It is because the path is narrow, and those that teach maturity need to do so with great patience and careful instruction.

I would tend to agree with you in that Mary had already given herself to God prior to the angel's proclamation. Faith is not an accident.

When someone gives a great and undeserved gift to a lowly sinner, should I praise the giver or the receiver of the gift?

I may say how blessed the receiver was, but the honor belongs entirely to Him who gave the gift.

Oh... I have children. Great fun, and they require much more work than horses.

To me the lines are bright. Worship is for God alone.

And, yeah, we have a moral burden NOT to obfuscate, but we didn't make up Marian Doctrine for fun, y'know. We really believe them and we see them, as I have tried to present, as coming our of Christology and out of what is common knowledge about the parent-child relationship.

In other words, simplicity is good, but not so good that one should be inaccurate to preserve it. We actually do believe this stuff.

I think in fact when somebody receives a great gift, we praise the giver AND the recipient. "Congratulation" is such a nice word, suggesting joining in "little thanks".

I think part of the confusion is the sort of spectacular nature of the private prayers of Marian devotion. It is played up by the media and by protestants who find it exotic and repellent. But in my daily prayers I spend maybe 20 minutes max on the Rosary and probably 90 minutes on Mass and office. And the bulk of my study is NOT Marian.

I am "all over" the "miraculous medal", so I suppose I am part of the problem of seeming to presenting Mary as equal to Christ. But I took care that the medal I usually wear is imposed on a cross, as if to say, "What Mary offers through her intercession is founded entirely on the Cross of Christ and has and can have no other basis."

We aare beginning another round of RCIA (as it were "enquirer's) classes. They will go weekly (with vacations) until the end of April. Maybe 24 classes. Part of one will be given to Marian doctrine and practice, and those who stick with the class all the way to the end will learn how to pray the Rosary, and on our class quiet day we'll actually pray one together. But it's not proportional to our practice and teaching to react as if Mary dominated it. Mary helps bring me to Jesus, as do all the Saints.