"For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with Him in baptism wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, Having forgiven you all trespasses." (Col. 2:9-13).
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Our great high priest is Christ, who needs no one to dispense grace for Him. We can come boldly to His throne of grace.
So you'll burn all your Schofield and Darbyite books and translations, and your Bible as well because you need no mediator? You have direct access. YOu are bold!Of what use is all this paper?
It's not a great challenging nuance or subtlety to distinguish between "the container and the thing contained."
In everyday life we say "Get me that can of tomatoes, please," when what we want, really, is the tomatoes IN the can. Nobody complains that all we talk about is cans when we should be cooking not with cans but with tomatoes.
And since we're dealing with humans, it's more complex -- and maybe for some weak people the temptation to some kind of idolatry or other mis-directed worship is more perilous.
But I know two "righteous people", neither of whom are Catholics BTW, who are strong intercessors. I do not think I am dissing Jesus when I ask them to pray for something on my heart, or when I am effusive in my thanks when their prayers and mine are answered.
I am going to Jesus directly AND through them.
BTW, don't own 'dunce' unless you think it is really yours, really you. It is worth noting that we can say "In her is the foundation" and be accused of saying "She is the foundation." These Marian praises are enthusiastic, but they are not always utterly wild. Rather they are often carefully done.
At what IScool insists is, or was, a monastery, though Friars do not have monasteries, since they are not monks ... At, as I say, the Dominican House of Studies in DC, the 'ambo', the place where the Scriptures are read in prayers and at Mass, is an appropriate desk to hold a Bible. But it is, of course elaborate, and above the 'desk' part and not obscuring the reader is a statue of a VERY pregnant Mary.
Now that I've spent time in the Religion Forum, I would expect this to be a problem for non-Catholics. But it is, for me, a delightful and accurate image: "Here is where the Word of God is brought forth. Pay attention!"
Because we love the Word, we love the Friar (which just means "brother") who reads it, we love her who bore it.
I do not feel burdened when I ask a mother if I may talk to her child. I do not feel burdened if I tell Mary how much I love her and ask her for access to Her Son. And indeed, in my life, it is because -- without any explicit or obvious involvement on her part -- He came crashing into my life, that I love her all the more, just as my love and gratitude for my daughter deepens my love for my wife.
I'm really running out of gas. But I want to say this. What so many non-Catholics seem to thing of as hindrances and burdens are to me gifts and helps and joys. When I am at Mass, I often find myself smiling broadly. Here in this remarkably diverse community are all these hundreds of very different people, all here to worship Love and the Father of Love and the Love in our hearts and flowing between us and all over the universe. The cries of the babies sound like the calls of exotic birds in the bird house at the zoo. Here are children, adolescents, young adults, mothers and fathers, and us older folks, some very disabled and not long on this side of the Jordan. Maybe some of them FEEL burdened to be there. To me they are part of the wonder and joy.
Mary is not an obstruction to me.