Mary, Mirror of the Church

This book is useful for those Catholics and other Christians that somewhat understand devotion to Mary, and also for those for whom Mary is a stumbling block. The ecumenical thrust of this book is one of its great benefits. Fr. Cantalamessa goes to great lengths to provide scripture and theological explanations for such beliefs as Mary's role as Theotokos, for her intercession, and more generally for the relationship which each Christian ought to have with her. In addition to reflecting directly on Mary, Fr. Cantalamessa uses these reflections as diving off points for reflecting on other theological themes, such as grace, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. A beautiful and rich portrait emerges from these pages, of a soul filled with the Holy Spirit, and serving as an example and aid for others.

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Fr. Cantalamessa's book on Mary is unique in that he does not treat Catholic teaching on Mary defensively, as something to be protected from Protestant objections, but rather shows how Mary can be a symbol of unity, a common model of the Christian life for all Christians. And he manages to do this while explaining an orthodox, Catholic understanding of Mary's role in the Church.The book is divided into three sections, examining Mary's role in Jesus' birth, in His death and resurrection, and lastly her role in Pentecost and the continuing life of the Church. Fr. Cantalamessa makes strong use of Scripture in laying out Catholic doctrine and dogma on Mary, giving the reader a good understanding of the Gospel's context for what we know of her, and thus providing a good bridge for Protestants who would distrust Catholic tradition and the writings of the saints. Also of particular interest is Cantalamessa's synthesis of homilies and writings by prominent Reformers like Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.To round out the ecumenical appeal, the book has several beautiful color photos of some Marian icons, which Fr. Cantalamessa has said greatly increased his understanding of Mary's life and relationship with her son. Combined with citations of the Eastern Fathers to demonstrate the historical roots of doctrines like the Immaculate Conception (or "panagia", "all holy", in Greek), provides a window into the Eastern Church's perspective on Mary.Fr. Cantalamessa obviously has a great devotion to Mary, but it is tempered with a recognition that the greatest purpose of contemplating Mary is so that we can imitate her as the model follower of her son, Jesus. He also acknowledges that there is no one single "right" devotion towards Mary, as it varies according to each individual's spiritual path, and this moderation goes far to help ease those who fear that being a good Catholic necessitates some undue, if not idolatrous, devotion towards the Blessed Virigin. His writing is well-organized and accessible, and is suffused with a spirit of fraternity and charity towards all Christians. This is an ideal introduction to Mariology.

"In contemplating Mary, we can once again discover the synthesis and unity of faith. She is the icon of undivided grace, grace that is still whole (p.28)" Having the privilege of counting a Franciscan community in my hometown as friends and seeing their great devotion to Mary led me to this book. This marvelous little book has greatly increased my understanding and devotion to Mary. Deo gratias!

This is the most beautiful book on Mary that I have yet encountered. There are so many gems of truth contained in this work that, once completed, the reader is left with an abundance of material to begin imitation of Mary who "Kept all these things in her heart." In addition, this book is a wonderful presentation of the Blessed Virgin to our protestant bretheren. The author believes that the time has come for Mary to be a source of unity among Christians and no longer a cause of division. This book makes great strides toward that end.

This is a wonderful book and has opened insights into the role of Mary in the life of the Church that both delights and surprises. Father Raniero Cantalamessa writes with profound understanding and love for our Lady. He combines a deep knowledge of the Bible with the teaching of the Church both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. The book covers many aspects of the Christian faith and offers a refreshment course for all those who wish to follow Mary and most especially Our Lord Jesus Christ. He liberally quotes from the Gospels and the Epistles of St Paul There are four pictures of icons included in the text and these help enormously in his exposition of "Mary Mirror of the Church." I have several books by Fr Cantalamessa and this is one of his best.

This is the best book I have read about Mary Mother of Jesus. If you want to know her as a real person, read this book. Highly recommended.

good insights on how to deepen your relationship with the Blessed Mother as you understand more deeply her role in the life of the Church.

I had the joy of hearing Fr Raniero preach recently and he truly is a most inspiring man to listen to. The joy of this book and another entitled "Serving the Word: My Life", is that I could almost hear him saying the words as I read them.Mary, Mirror of the Church is an extended series of meditations upon the role of Mary in Scripture as featured at the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery and at Pentecost. Fr Raniero seems to offer the various discourses with a seamless flow between Scripture - the Church and modern life which heightens our view of Mary to be not just historic or devotional but very much appropriate for us today.I found his style to be quite unique and therefore it took a few passages before I got used to the idiom he uses to expand upon his concepts of Mary's role, but once through that - I relished each passage and was held by this extraordinary book.

This book gave me a better understanding of the role of Mary our Mother in the life and mission of her son Jesus, and how I could relate to Jesus as she did and to her as my mother. Excellent!