How can I convey to others that Marian devotion is kept in "perspective" in the Catholic faith?

[twwoolle]

My wife and I are relatively new converts to Catholicism (Easter 2007). Recently, my wife has begun to “backslide” under the influence of her fundamentalist Protestant mother. Specifically, my mother-in-law’s concerns are about devotion to Mary. My wife and I understand and are comfortable with praying to Mary as intercessory prayer. However, my mother-in-law has pointed to the seemingly excessive time spent praying to Mary rather than Jesus or God; she points, for example, to the rosary where the Hail, Mary is said 53 times, the Hail Holy Queen once and the Our Father only 6 times. How can my wife and I convey to my mother-in-law that Marian devotion is kept in “perspective” in the Catholic faith?

Thanks, in advance, for your help!

 

[Devon_Caffran]

These links should be helpful for presenting our Marian devotion and the Rosary in proper perspective. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please contact Catholic Answers directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**The Rosary
Praying to the Saints
Saint Worship?
Is a devotion to Mary required of Catholics?
Does John Paul II’s motto “Totus Tuus” imply Marian worship?

CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part I (This Rock: August 1992)
CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part II (This Rock: September 1992) CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part III (This Rock: October 1992)
CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part IV (This Rock: November 1992) CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part V (This Rock: December 1992) CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part VI (This Rock: January 1993)
CRI’s Attack on Mary: Part VII (This Rock: February 1993)