Some thoughts:
Mary, being fully human – though I believe her to be the Immaculate Conception and created and sustained without sin by special action of the Holy Trinity – falls short of the “Glory of God”, which is Divine. (The Most Highly Favored Daughter has limits, and God doesn’t.)
Jesus came to fulfill the law and not abolish it – so He too had to deal with the 4th Commandment of “Honor thy Father and Mother”. This explains why He was subject to a his Mother, a mere creature at the Wedding at Cana, but when He was younger and lost for three days in the Temple, and Mary asked Him, “Why have You worried us? Didn’t You know your father and I were looking for You?” (Check for exact quote) Jesus’ reply was “Didn’t you know I’d be about my Father’s business?” establishing that Mary was His mother, but leaving it more clear that St. Joseph was his Foster Father – whom Jesus deeply respected as chosen head of the Holy Family.
Now for an interesting tidbit which (I think) supports the Immaculate Conception dogma. When the female fetus has developed to three months in the womb all the eggs that future woman will ever need are there in proto-form in the ovaries to mature and ripen later in life, unlike male sperm, which is produced differently. Any genetic damage or imperfection would have to be at least stopped from settling in by that three month point, otherwise there would have been a physical flaw in she who was hailed “Full of Grace” – something that might have resulted in Mary miscarrying Jesus, or just dying while He was still in the womb. John in Revelation described the pregnancy as very special – the Woman Clothed with Sun could not be harmed by the Dragon. If Satan has power over all those who have somehow been contaminated with sin (With which the wages are death) then that Woman was beyond the Dragon’s reach – Immaculate. And so was her child (unmiscarriable).
So, this returns us to an ethical question – why did Mary have to be without sin from the very beginning to be Jesus Mother, and not her own mother, or her mother’s mother, or her mother’s mother’s mother (you get the idea) be able to take on the job of saying yes to Gabriel’s important proposal (“God wants you to be His Mother. Will you say yes?”) My thoughts are this. A perfect human, immaculately conceived, has perfect understanding and action of will, perfectly formed conscence with perfectly developed heart, soul, mind, and strength. It took a special action of God just to make sure Mary’s Mother wouldn’t miscarry, suicide, die of small pox, you name it. Then, to raise Mary must have been another adventure all it’s own. So Mary, while living with sin, was never in sin–but had opportunity for sympathy and compassion for those bound in its chains (her family, friends, and neighbors). In her lifelong perfect loving worship of God, and love of neighbor as herself, Mary could make a rational unbiased choice – did she want to play an increasingly difficult though honored part in Salvation History (remember, perfection nailed Jesus to His Cross and led Mary to the foot of it), or bow out and stand firm with what perfect but limited relationship with God she already had. (God would not force pregnancy on Mary. He asked. No coercion at all.)
And, finally, I believe Mary was Jesus’ fully human mother, not a goddess of some sort, because if she was, that would negate the whole “God-incarnating-as-man-while-remaining-both-truly-God-and-truly-man” dogma in the Nicene Creed.
Sorry, but I ramble, and hope this helps
