Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's book, The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God, provides
the reader with beautiful reflections on all aspects of our Blessed Mother. Unlike some other Marian literature, however, Bishop Sheen also goes into rich theological discourses on the meaning of humanity, the state of the modern world, and how Mary not only shows us how to be a good Christian but also a good human being. Mary's life goes beyond a pious, ethereal musing and enters into the messiness of human existence. Mary had to deal with being a woman who got pregnant seemingly outside of marriage and all the ridicule that came with that in the Ancient World. She had to give birth on the floor of a stable where animals lived. Then, after all of this, she has to flee to a foreign country to protect her child who one day will be killed anyway. Mary’s life intersects with every suffering we experience today from the single woman who is left pregnant with no one to help her to the refugee who has to flee their home to the mother whose child has an illness that will cause it to die young or not even be born at all. The world wishes to tell us that we are on our own, that we must take our lives into our own hands and do what we think is best to survive. Mary chose another way. When she had to stand with Christ at the Cross, she chose Love. As swords pierced her Immaculate Heart, she did not despair but loved the world even though it caused her Beloved to suffer. Evil devours itself, but if Love does not win out in the end, evil will simply keep coming back in other forms. That is why we need Mary, the World’s First Love.