But oh dear, you need perhaps to consider aspects of monarchy in God's plan.
hen Solomon was King of Israel, his mother, Bathsheba, was Queen Mother of Israel. That's how Jewish monarchy worked. The Queen wasn't the King's wife (he generally had many wives)\. His wives were plural, his mother was singular. The Queen was one woman, his mother.
That's why you have passages like this:
1 Kings 2:19
"When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand."
The King of Israel gives the Queen Mother a place of honor at his right hand. Got that?
It's not that she has independent power. She is, however, in an excellent position to intercede.
Similarly with Mary. All of the Old Testament Scriptures --- as you know ---- tell us something about Christ by way of types and prefiguring.
Who else would be the Queen Mother --- other than Mary, the Mother of the King?
All the rest of courtly language flows from that realization.
It is nonsense to think that this Queen is worshipped. Quite the contrary, she is the handmaid of the Lord.
I'll bet you knew that.
“”Trying to kid?” (Pause for rolling my eyes a bit.) I made it very clear that God alone is to be adored.”
No, you said that Mary isn’t included in Catholic prayers all that much, and that the focus is on Jesus Christ. In the link I gave you, Christ is only called the Lamb of God and mentioned a few times. Mary receives more than a dozen names, each one more blasphemous than the first. Sounds like adoration too.
“That’s why you have passages like this:
1 Kings 2:19”
1Ki 2:21 (21) And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
The immediate result of this dialogue is that Adonijah was put to death. Let’s hope that if Mary really does have the divine attributes and can therefore hear our prayers, that she does not petition on our behalf like Bathsheba for Adonijah.
“The King of Israel gives the Queen Mother a place of honor at his right hand. Got that?”
That would be Jesus Christ:
Act_2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Heaven isn’t a scaled up Oriental court, complete with hundreds of concubines to please God, just FYI. The Hebrews were never operating on some divine model of Kingship. This was the fashion of the oriental monarchies seen everywhere in those days, all pagan. In fact, having a king in the first place was a concession made to the Hebrews who wanted to copy the patterns of other people.
1Sa 8:6-8 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. (7) And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (8) According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
Furthermore, Mary being the mother of Christ gave her no special authority in heaven. In fact, she is more blessed by faith in Christ than she is in childbirth:
Luk 11:27-28 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. (28) But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luk 8:20-21 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. (21) And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
“It’s not that she has independent power.”
Your Popes disagree.
“Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ. Thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.” (Vatican Website: Encyclical of Pope Leo 13th on the Rosary, Octobri Mense, Pope Leo 13th, 1903-1914)
“The foundation of all our confidence is found in the Blessed Virgin Mary. God has committed to her the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is His will: that we obtain everything through Mary.” (Ven. Pope Pius IX)
All the Saints have a great devotion to Our Lady: no grace comes from Heaven without passing through her hands. We cannot go into a house without speaking to the doorkeeper. Well, the Holy Virgin is the doorkeeper of Heaven.
St. John Mary Vianney
All gifts, virtues, and graces of the Holy Ghost are administered by the hands of Mary to whomsoever she desires, when she desires, and in the manner she desires, and to whatever degree she desires.
St. Bernardine of Siena
She sounds pretty well all powerful here. God Himself bows to her will. Let’s see what the scripture actually says:
Dan_4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
“I’ll bet you knew that.”
Quick! Call the Pope and let him know!
"When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand."
1Ki 2:19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
When one changes the scripture, one can make it say anything he/she wants...