[Iscool]

If it literally means dedicating oneself "entirely" to Mary without limit and without acknowledgment that Mary is a handmaid of the Lord Whom we both serve, this would, on the face of it, be "totalizing" or "divinizing" Mary.

But it's good if you (all) partially dedicate yourselves to and partially serve Mary...And you are partially 'divinizing' Mary??? I don't think that's what God had in mind...

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Isa 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

1Co_4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"But it's good if you (all) partially dedicate yourselves to and partially serve Mary...And you are partially 'divinizing' Mary??? I don't think that's what God had in mind..."

Right you are, iscool--- that's not what anybody has in mind.

• The Angel Gabriel was not "partially divinizing" Mary when he addressed her by the unprecedented title "Kecharitomene";
• nor was Elizabeth "partially divinizing" her when she called her "most blessed among women," "blessed are you who believed," and "Mother of My Lord"
• Nor was Jesus "partially divinizing" her when "He went down with them [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Luke 2:51) --- imagine that! Almighty God obedient to Mary and Joseph!
• Nor did Jesus "partially divinize" His mother when he honored her with His obedience, even as a man, at the wedding feast at Cana: evidently overriding even His own sense that His hour had not yet come.

This stuff isn't "partial divinizing": nobody is "partially divinizing" Mary. It's honor and veneration, as in "Honor Thy Father And Thy Mother," a commandment which Jesus observed in practice, and which we, her other offspring (Rev. 12:17) also observe in practice.

You quoted verses about God not giving His glory to another, but then what are we to make of this? St. Paul says (Romans 2:6, 10), "God will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good work,... there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek."

This is not stealing glory from God, but rather God's freedom to give glory to those on whom His favor rests. This is a derivative glory, like the light of the moon, which is not independent, but beautifully reflects the light of the sun.

It's also a matter of inheriting glory as joint heirs with Christ:

(Romans 8:16-18):
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us."

(Romans 8:30) And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

This is what we are taking about. About all believers

• we who do His will, who hear the word of God and keep it (like Mary saying "Be it done unto me according to Thy word", and the Word was made Flesh!), and
• we who suffer with Him (like Mary, "Your own soul a sword will pierce"), and
• we who are predestined (as Mary was predestined to be the Woman in enmity against Satan, Genesis 3:17)--- "For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers"(Romans 8:29)

Since Jesus was predestined to be the firstborn of many brothers, Mary was therefore predestined to be the spiritual mother of many offspring (Revelation 12:17) --- have a good look at that chapter of Revelation, for she and we her "many offspring" are still, as you will notice, enemies of the Serpent.

There's a lot there. THIS is what God has in mind.