My husband and I both relished the approachability, wisdom, and the subtle humor found throughout Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross. Edward Sri is a very knowledgeable, well-read, and engaged student of the Blessed Mother. His approach is intriguing and far more compelling than a strictly academic study of Mary’s role in salvation history.
Walking with Mary is so insightful and inspiring that I read it twice. I rarely reread a book unless I absolutely love it and/or really want to share it with my husband Kevin. The second time through, I read Walking with Mary aloud to Kevin, and we were both fascinated by how author/professor Edward Sri explains the role of Mary in God’s plan for our eternal salvation through close examination of Old and New Testament Scripture passages from G-R (Genesis through Revelation). A clearer picture and more in-depth explanation of the culture and customs of families and society in the time she lived are what really set this book apart from others about Mary.
Mary is seen as the ideal model for all Christ’s followers. This book is a wonderful reminder of the various ways the Blessed Mother says yes to God and keeps doing so throughout her life. She is a perfect model of trust and discernment: someone who always seeks, listens for the will of God, and does whatever He asks of her.
As Sri points out: “Mary’s command to the servants at the Wedding at Cana—‘Do whatever he tells you’ (John 2:5)—are her last recorded words in the Bible. And they are like a last will and testament to all of us who wish to follow Christ. Through these words, Mary exhorts us to trust Jesus completely just as she abandoned herself to God’s plan step-by-step throughout her life as the humble servant of the Lord.”
Walking with Mary is an interesting book for someone who has read a lot about and spent quite a bit of time praying with the Blessed Mother as well as someone who isn’t well-versed in Scripture or as familiar with Mary’s role in salvation history. Protestants and Catholics alike will appreciate this intimate look at Scripture as a way to learn about Mary and become better disciples of Christ.
For more information about Walking with Mary, to read an excerpt of the book, find out more about the author Edward Sri, and/or to order your own copy, visit the Image Catholic Books site here.
This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour. To read some of the other reviews and reflections on Walking with Mary, an interview with the author, and the first video in the series Edward Sri is doing to go with the book, click here.
