[koinonia]

Hi. A queen, however powerful she may be, is always subordinate to the king. However, she is honored and has true power from the king; look at queen Bethsabee in the kingdom of Solomon: Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her [adoravitque eam - literally he adored her, in the Latin], and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee, do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother, ask: for I must not turn away thy face. (3 Kings 2:19-20). If an earthly king can honor his mother so greatly, why not the King of kings and Lord of lords?

At any rate, there is no "equating" Jesus and Mary here on the part of Fr. Dean (or the Catholic Church), but true honor is being given to the Queen of Heaven and earth, exalted by God Himself above all Angels and the rest of men to be His Mother.

Regarding Mary being a sinner: Could Jesus have preserved His Mother from sin by the foreseen merits of His Passion? Was it fitting that He do so ("Honor your father and mother")? Well, that's what He did and that's why the Angel could call her the "fully graced one" κεχαριτωμένη, (kecharitōménē). If she were a big sinner (like me) the Angel would have had to say, "Hail, not so fully graced one".

May the Lord Jesus bless you!

[dartuser]

κεχαριτωμένη ...

How you go from "full of grace/full of favor/etc." ... to ... "sinless" is beyond me.

Since Mary was sinless, and already full of grace ... does that mean she never partook of the Lords Table in communion?