You asked: What is the relevance of Mary’s intercession as taught by Catholics?

A: Marian devotion has been a feature of Catholicism for centuries; to many devoted Catholics, Mary stands firmly between the believer and God…more especially, Jesus.

The devotion to a divine mother such as Mary is probably as old as religion itself, and likely originated with Eve. Around 10,000 years or so ago, The Urantia Book tells us:

80:7.7 It was during this age in Crete that the mother cult of the descendants of Cain attained its greatest vogue. This cult glorified Eve in the worship of the “great mother.” Images of Eve were everywhere. Thousands of public shrines were erected throughout Crete and Asia Minor. And this mother cult persisted on down to the times of Christ, becoming later incorporated in the early Christian religion under the guise of the glorification and worship of Mary, the earth mother of Jesus.

In my view, devotion to Mary is probably linked to the fact that we have lost our Adam and Eve. We have no spiritually significant female figure to look up to, and mankind naturally does look for such figures.

The Urantia Book also teaches us about the Universe Mother Spirit, and I sometimes think that maybe in the centuries to come, when Urantia Book teachings become spread throughout the world, that the devotion that now lies with Mary will somehow be transferred to our Universe Mother Spirit, who is as close, or closer, to Jesus than his earth mother. The Mother Spirit is Jesus’ eternal partner in creation, mother of angels.

Again – as for relevance – I guess that depends upon who you are and how you view these things. The Urantia Book teaches us that because of the indwelling Spirit of God – the Thought Adjuster – we have no need of intermediaries – no priests, no holy men, no holy women – no one needs to intercede for us to our heavenly Father, or to Jesus. And we know from our study of the book that Mary was a very ordinary woman – an ordinary woman called upon to do extraordinary service to our world, but nevertheless, a mere mortal human mother. She’s been elevated to near-divine status, but is it deserved? That remains in the eye of the beholder…

Mary devotees find something in her that is especially appealing. For example, the “Immaculate Conception” is a Marian title that is very lofty, but then, as Urantia Book readers know, we are all immaculate conceptions – none of us is born into sin, despite what Christianity teaches. We are not children of the devil, and there has been no original sin.

As a Catholic child, the stories about Marian apparitions were awe-inspiring to me. But once I discovered The Urantia Book, the truth about Mary seemed far more appealing than the worshipful adoration of her that I had grown up with. It is somehow comforting to know that Jesus was a true human being with a truly human mother, not unlike any other human mother. This knowledge helps me to identify more closely with both Jesus and Mary. And the book’s teachings on the ministry of the Adjuster and the Spirit of Truth has forever removed any need I might have felt to come to Jesus through Mary.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this devotion to Mary or those who depend upon her intercession; our prayers are heard no matter where they are directed, I think. Perhaps you feel differently; it seems to me that it is not a matter that would have a significant effect on one’s eternal destiny, one way or the other.

Thanks so much for writing. I hope that my reply has been helpful.