Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Dr. Brant Pitre

In my spiritual life over the years I have often noticed that it’s the stories of the saints that have continued to draw me closer to God. Whether it’s a quote they have caused me to ponder or a new approach to prayer, there is a never ending freshness in the writings of or about the saints. But there was always one saint, the Queen of all Heaven, in fact, that I never felt like I could fully connect with. The Blessed Mother is such a central figure in our Catholic faith, and yet I couldn’t understand why she had never “spoken” to me the way that she had to other Friars and friends. Why didn’t she call out to me the way that other Church figures had? Everything changed, however, when I took the FORMED class offered here in the Eastside Family on Mary. Based off of this book, Dr. Pitre’s eight-week course dove into Mary’s importance in salvation history and in each and every person’s life. Dr. Pitre’s two-fold expertise of Jewish tradition and Sacred Scripture allows the reader to be astounded by the implications of characters like Rachel, Bathsheba, and Eve, as well as key images like the Ark of the Covenant, on Mary’s identity and relationship with every soul. When reading it, I was particularly struck by the Old Testament connection of Mary being the queen mother, whose role is to be an advocate for the people and to bring their needs and desires to the throne of the King. If you are someone like me who really struggled to cultivate a relationship with the Blessed Mother, please take my recommendation during this month and end each night with a decade of the Rosary and a few pages from this awe-inspiring read!