Since the earliest days of the Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been honored in glorious works of prose, poetry, art, and song. Yet the traditional Catholic devotion to Mary is often a topic of debate inside and outside of the Church. The real person that plays such an important role in the life of Jesus sometimes gets lost in the piety that surrounds her. The objective of this book is to find that strong, vibrant servant of God, the woman whose “yes” played such an important role in salvation history.

This text considers Mary as a woman, images of Mary in Scripture, and Mary in Catholic tradition. Discussion questions follow each section. Such questions include the following: Did Mary’s belief that she was following God’s will lessen her sorrow at Simeon’s prediction? Do you think that Mary’s human existence was filled with extraordinary experiences because she was Jesus’ mother? Or do you think her life was quite ordinary?