The Veneration of Mary

I have a million unsorted thoughts about Mary and the Catholic Church vs the Protestant Church.  I'll probably be blogging about those thoughts later.  For now I am just talking about the veneration of Mary as I heard on a program on 129 SiriusXM.  I am sorry to say I don't remember on whose program I heard it.

In the program, the guest was speaking about how God gave us a male-figure, a father-figure in Christ Jesus, and, indeed, God Himself as God the Father. But what about the female-figure, the mother-figure for women, and for all, really?  Motherhood is of great value and importance in our lives.

I have heard some Protestants say the Holy Spirit is sort of the female role.  Others don't believe in gendering God.  Others just don't think about that sort of theology.  Catholicism believes in Mary as that Mother-figure.  Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, but not quite a deity.  To be venerated, not worshipped.  She can't answer prayers, but she can take your prayers to Jesus.  Kind of like when my kids ask me for something big and I tell them I have to talk with daddy about that.  It would be wrong of me to grant it to them without discussing it with hubby.  He has final say, but I have great influence in that say because hubby loves and respects me and listens.

While, as of right now, I am not fully convinced of the Marian Theology of the Catholic Church, I do greatly appreciate the magnificent offering of female role models through Mary and the lady saints, through the sisterhood, nuns.  In Protestantism, women don't really have anyone other than the fictional Proverbs 31 ideal, and the Titus 2 charge.  I don't hate on either of those, but there isn't much femininity to look up to within the day-to-day Protestant faith.