Gophack wrote:
Without Mary, there would be no Jesus.
You replied (I think):
The Son existed before the foundation of the world as did the plan of salvation (check your bible for that)
You are both right. The Eternal Son, the 2nd Person of the Blessed Trinity, being God, "exists" from all Eternity. In point of fact, God IS Existence and Eternity. And yes, the Holy Scriptures do indicate this.
However, the Incarnation of the 2nd Person of the Blessed Trinity, meaning true God becoming true Man, more specifically, becoming Jesus, did require Mary. Otherwise He wouldn't be Jesus. In His human nature, He is flesh of her flesh.
You write in reference to Mary as Jesus' Mother:
...but if it was not her it would have been another woman.
And therefore He would NOT be Jesus. Not the Jesus whom we all claim to know and love. Another woman as mother would bring about another different "Christ" - Who doesn't exist.
...She was his earthly mother...
And she remains His Mother, even now! She becomes OUR spiritual Mother as well since we are His brothers and sisters. "Woman, behold your son...behold your Mother..." Understand, the whole point of the Incarnation is that Jesus is one of us now. That Christ has redeemed Creation for all time. He shares in our humanity (which He Created) so that we can share in His Divinity!
God did not need to Create anything, but chose to out of His Goodness in order to manifest His Glory in an external Creation complete with beings created in His image and likeness with free will. Some of those beings, the fallen angels, refused His Grace and tempted other beings, our first parents Adam and Eve, to also reject His Grace, which they promptly did.
God's plan of Salvation involves Him showing His Infinite Love for us, His creatures, by becoming one of us to redeem us. To redeem His Creation through His Creation. He Wills that we actively participate in His plan - to conform our wills with His Will. You should know all this since it is in the Holy Scriptures. You also should know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer! But who, or what, is Jesus?
This question was debated in the early Centuries of Christianity. Some said He was an Angel become Man. Others that He was a ghost and didn't really have a body. Some said He had only one Nature, others that He was two people, one Divine, the other human. The Church, led by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the dogmas concerning the Incarnation: That Jesus was One Person (the 2nd Person of the Blessed Trinity - True God) with two Natures (Divine and human). The Greek word theotokos, literally 'God-bearer', otherwise 'Mother of God', became the "litmus test" for determining whether or not a person was maintaining the correct understanding of the Incarnation. It had to; His human nature is dependent on her Motherhood.
...how is Worship different than adoration?
Are you referring to the difference between veneration and adoration? The worship of Adoration is due to God alone as Creator and Lord of all Creation, the honor of veneration is given to God's Saints, recognizing His Grace working through them.
How (in practical terms ) does the difference express itself?