Mary, in Her Own Words: The Mother of God in Scripture

Marian devotion often proves problematic. People often do not understand her person or her role. In these reflections, Fr. Caster draws from his own relationship with Mary and from the Church's rich tradition of Marian devotion. Each chapter is a reflection on each of Mary's words in scripture. Fr. Caster illustrates how Mary's words serve as a guide for the life of every Christian, in their relationship with Mary and ultimately their relationship with God. Mary serves as man's ultimate example in following God; in being open to doing His will. Fr. Caster effectively paraphrases the greatest commandment to illustrate the goal of the Christian life, he writes "Christianity is not simply living without sin it is an active and engaged love of God that must express itself as an active, attentive and engaged love of others."

In reading Fr. Caster's interpretation of Mary's life, I realized that I have been "thinking as a child" (1 Cor. 13:11) when it comes to the Blessed Mother. Through the pages of "Mary in Her Own Words" I saw clearly what makes sense: neither Mary nor Jesus came to the world with a script; they were not always able to discern God's will or their own mission instantaneously or with great certitude. Using the words attributed to Mary in scripture and the circumstances that prompted them, Fr. Caster shows us, for example, that when Jesus, at 12, stayed behind to teach in the temple, neither he nor Mary was clear on whether this event marked the beginning of his redeeming mission. Mary was not rebuked by Jesus' response when his parents found him; she was trying to understand so that she could cooperate fully with the will of God. And at the marriage feast of Cana, Mary knew it was enough to tell the stewards to do as Jesus said, though she had no idea what would happen. And Jesus hesitated not because he was annoyed or knew this was not the right time, but through concern for the suffering of those close to him, especially his mother, when his public ministry began. Like Mary, he had no specific information about God's plan. The message for us today is that even the divine/human Redeemer and his Mother, conceived without sin, relied on faith, and that we today can find our way through that same virtue. These stories of Mary's words, along with chapters on the development of Church teaching, offer inspiration and support for individuals and groups. The short chapters lend well to use in retreats or faith-sharing gatherings, and the organization is flexible enough that they need not be used in sequence.