Mary: Barrier or Bridge?
By Father John Randall, S.T.D. is Mary a barrier
to union with non-Catholics? Or ought we see her
as a bridge between the Catholic faith and
others? With many convincing arguments and
personal insights, Father Randall shows how Mary
can and should bring the followers of her Son
into union with one another.
Father Randall begins by
exploring whether or not devotion to Mary is
Biblical. Beginning with the Old Testament,
Father Randall explores the Jewish concept of
Israel as the Bride of Christ. He shows how this
prepared Christians for the notion of Christ as
marrying His bride, the Church. The Church is to
be one with Jesus. It must die to self and live
for Him. Where do we see the best model of this
attitude? In the Blessed Mother.
Father Randall believes that
many of the problems that have surfaced in the
Church are related to a decrease in devotion to
the Blessed Mother. The Church has placed Mary
at its heart, and devotion to her means devotion
to Jesus. The converse is also true. Lack of
devotion to the Mother means a lack luster
devotion to the Son.
"Rather than see Mary as an
exalted and privileged person from afar, we
realize that the Spirit wants to form those same
favors in us. He wants the whole Church to enjoy
all her privileges, because they are not just
Mary's. They are privileges of the whole Church,
ones which Mary simply enjoys as its first
member. God wants to bring them to us all!"
Father Randall goes on to show
that God wishes to espouse all of us as He
espoused Mary, and that He wants to bring forth
from us "sons and daughters of God" in a
spiritual sense. Saint Francis and Saint Clare
had this sense of spiritual marriage and
spiritual motherhood, and both were devoted to
the Blessed Mother.
Those who already have a
devotion to the Blessed Mother will appreciate
this book. Those who wish their devotion were
deeper will receive a pleasant answer to their
wishes upon reading this little book.
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