Book Review: Meet Mary

I just finished reading Mark Miravalle's Meet Mary.  Miravalle is a Catholic deacon who is also a Mariologist.  In his book he introduces his readers to the Mother of God, Mary.  This book wasn't written just for Catholics.  He invites non-Catholics to come along with him and get acquainted with our Blessed Mother and he explains why she's relevant to all of us and not just Catholics.

This is not an apologetics book and is not intended by the author to be such but even still, it could still quietly carry out that function if read by a curious non-Catholic. In the book Miravalle makes it clear that Catholic do not worship Mary and he beautifully explains Marian devotion and how it brings one closer to our Lord.

So who would benefit from reading this book?  Anyone with a curiosity about Mary could certainly learn something from this book.  If you're a Catholic who doesn't exactly know why we honor the Blessed Mother, you certainly could gain some valuable insight by reading this book.  If you're a protestant who thinks Catholics worship Mary or are just flat out crazy for praying to her, you could learn a lot about why she is so important and how she can lead us closer to her son and our Lord, Jesus.  If you're in RCIA and the idea of Marian devotion seems strange to you then this book would be a great springboard of catechesis for you on Mary.

At 90 pages, the book is a short read, but it is packed with information.  Miravalle's writing style is engaging and to the point.  Because this book is an introduction to Mary, it's more or less an overview of Mary and not an in-depth study.  If you're looking to get you feet wet and become acquainted with Our Lady, then this book is a great starting point.

The book also sports a nice appendix that covers the Rosary and other Marian prayers.  In this section you will find a short how to on praying the Rosary and a brief explanation of all twenty mysteries of the Rosary.  Prayers such as the Angelus, Regina Caeli and Memorare are also included in this section along with a few others.

Overall, I think this book is well done and can nicely serve a broad audience.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."