The Way of Mary: Spiritual Practice with the Blessed Mother - Tapa dura

A 1994 encounter with a Mayan statue of Mary that had a strong mystical presence inspired Ford-Grabowsky to create this series of spiritual practices centered on the life of Christ's mother. Upon seeing the figure in a Guatemalan village church, the spiritual teacher and writer (/Sacred Voices/) was mesmerized. Although she had no special devotion to Mary, she said a Hail Mary, and was caught up in depths of love that surpassed her previous spiritual experiences. The 14-day pilgrimage she subsequently wrote is based on New Testament stories in which Mary plays a key role, including Christ's first miracle, performed at Mary's urging. For each story or step of the pilgrimage, which readers can follow consecutively for 14 days or at their leisure, Ford-Grabowsky provides eight exercises that range from entering silence and reading scripture to meditating and freeing the creative spirit. Christian devotees of Mary would seem to be a logical audience for this book, but because Ford-Grabowsky writes with a sensitivity to all faiths, pointing out links between Mary and other religious traditions (she notes, for example, that Muslims revere Mary and that Buddhism and Hinduism abound with wise and saintly female figures), her invitation to return home to Mary as an archetypal mother is both inclusive and compelling. Publishers Weekly November 2007

These new devotions, all of them inspired by the scenes and stories of the Gospels, comment on Mary's extraordinary life on earth and momentous influence on the human heart, male or female, ever since. Arranged in a two-week cycle, each of these devotions includes meditation, reflection, prayer, visualization, and ideas for freeing the creative spirit. The new spirituality of Mary contained in this book will help readers learn that drawing closer to the mother of Jesus is a way to attain a holiness that is unlimited and a joy that can never end.