Walking with Mary (Image Books)

When we think of important Marian Feast Days in the Church Calendar, the Catholic Church recognizes three as Holy Days of Obligation. They are as follows:

• Mary, Mother of God – January 1st
• Mary's Assumption/Dormition – August 15th
• Mary's Immaculate Conception – December 8th

The Orthodox mark Mary's nativity (September 8th) as one of their Twelve Great Feasts, and I believe the Catholics should make this a Holy Day of Obligation as well! In honor of Mary's nativity this month, I have a special book to review called Walking with Mary by Edward Sri. Dr. Sri is a brilliant mind and quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Watch out, Dr. Hahn!

Upon reading the Introduction to Walking with Mary, I was immediately reminded of Dr. Scott Hahn's early works that led me and many others like me to Catholicism. Dr. Sri begins by drawing upon personal experiences in his life as they relate to Mary. He then sets the framework for this book by giving us three Biblical facts about Mary - 1. She lived in Nazareth. 2. She was betrothed to Joseph. 3. Joseph belonged to the house of David. You'll need to read the book to find out why these three facts are so important. After these three facts, we embark on an exciting nine-step Biblical journey of Mary's life with seven steps coming from Luke, two from John, and one from Revelation.

The most eye-opening chapter for me was "Step 5: Sharing in the Sword." In this chapter, Dr. Sri outlines Simeon's prophecy to Mary at Jesus' Presentation in the Temple. He cites Pope John Paul II, who called the Presentation in the Temple a "second Annunciation." (The first Annunciation was Gabriel to Mary.) He then outlines and explains the four key messages of Simeon's words, which are found in Luke 2:34-35. These four points not only tell what Jesus' life and ministry will be like, but they also reveal the suffering Mary will endure because she is Jesus' mother. As Dr. Sri points out, though, Mary did not shrink from this "second Annunciation," but embraces her mission and with it her Son's Cross and suffering. We would do well to imitate her example.

This is a 5-star book which provides the reader with a Biblical view of Mary from the Annunciation to her Crowing in Heaven. And since it is all Biblical, this would be the perfect book for those considering becoming Catholic or those who merely struggle with the Catholic viewpoint of Mary. I plan on gifting a copy to my mother, a Southern Baptist, in hopes that this book will explain what I have a hard time putting into words. Let us all look to Mary as our model on how to be a Christian, a she will always point us to her Son.

If you found this review helpful, please click this link and hit Yes! For a reading guide to go with this book, click here. For an interview with the author, click here. And if you're interested in seeing the first of many to come video reflections on Mary by Dr. Sri, check out the video below!



I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. For helpful links, click below:

• More Info
• Author Bio