Sunday, August 1, 2010

Book Review: Mysteries of the Virgin Mary


 Ever hear about a particular Marian feast day or devotion and wonder what it's all about or why it's important?  Or maybe, you just don't get all the fuss some people make about Mary. If you can count yourself as one of those people, let Fr. Peter John Cameron explain it to you in his book Mysteries of the Virgin Mary: Living Our Lady's Graces.  In this book you'll find answers to why we should have a devotion to the Blessed Mother and solid explanations of the Marian feast days that are celebrated throughout the liturgical year.

This is a book that can read from cover to cover and then go back to throughout the year to refer to particular chapters.  The fourteen chapters that follow the first chapter all pertain to specific Marian feast days.  The chapters do not follow when they are celebrated during the liturgical year, but rather they follow the life of Mary and is rounded off with chapters on feast days surrounding some of her apparitions and titles.  

Fr. Cameron does a nice job of making the life of our Blessed Mother relatable to our lives.  Rather than just telling us what a particular event in Mary's life was about or why it's celebrated by the Church, he puts it in terms that will click for the reader.  The intended audience of the book is pretty much anyone, but in the preface Fr. Cameron also mentioned that he hopes priests and deacons will find this book to be helpful.  With his method of making the mysteries of the Blessed Mother relatable to us, I can only imagine that this book could be of help when it's time to compose a homily that will convey a meaningful message.

As a convert to Catholicism, I have to say that I think this book would be useful to those who are new to the faith and don't necessarily get Marian devotion.  It's a concept that essentially doesn't exist in Protestant sects (Mind blowing, isn't it?) and as a result many converts from Protestant faiths backgrounds have trouble with Marian devotion.  While this book is well written and could be helpful in explaining Marian devotion, it wouldn't be the first book I would suggest to one seeking to understand why Catholics are so devoted to the Blessed Mother.  The book didn't come across as captivating enough to actually inspire a Marian Devotion.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Mysteries of the Virgin Mary and be sure to check out their great selection of Mary statues while you are there.

As a reviewer for The Catholic Company, I was supplied with a complimentary review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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