If you've ever wondered what devotion to Mary is all about, you'll treasure this one-of-a-kind, popular glimpse into the early Church's life, doctrine, and devotion to Our Lady. Through lively stories, teachings of the Church fathers, and evidence from ancient archaeology, the authors invite you to enter the fascinating world of the early Christians, giving you an imaginative glimpse into how they demonstrated their love for Mary through their prayers, art, and daily life. Along the way, you'll gain a deeper understanding of Mary's role in your own life and that of the Church today.
Mike Aquilina is the author of more than forty books, including Yours Is the Church, Roots of the Faith, and Good Pope, Bad Pope. He has hosted nine series on EWTN and two documentary films on the saints of the early Church. He and his wife, Terri, have six children.
Fr. Frederick W. Gruber is a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, serving in a parish and as a high-school chaplain. He pursued graduate studies at the Marianum, Rome's Pontifical institute for the study of Mariology.
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Advance Praise for Keeping Mary Close
Ad Iesum per Mariam--to Jesus through Mary--is the high road of Christian faith and devotion and has been from the start. In Keeping Mary Close, Mike Aquilina and Fr. Gruber provide a scholarly and engaging overview of this fascinating history for the instruction and edification of today's reader. This is a book to read, cherish for your own enrichment, and share with family and friends. -- Russell Shaw, author, American Church
Keeping Mary Close is one of the very rare Marian titles that will help the reader to appreciate both the why and the how of our devotion to the Blessed Mother. Mike Aquilina and Fr. Gruber take us on a journey into theology, history, devotion, and prayer that ends with a deeper understanding of Mary. This is a perfect book for anyone who wants to understand the place of the Mother of God in the life of the Church and to defend her rightful place in the lives of all Christians. -- Matthew Bunson, author, Pope Francis
I've read a lot of books about Mary. This is one of the best. Aquilina and Gruber provide a beautifully unique perspective of Our Lady through the lens of early Church history. It's a fascinating journey through the mind of the Church into the heart of its Mother. -- Matthew Leonard, executive director, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
Mike Aquilina and Fr. Fredrick Gruber have authored a magnificent little book on Mary. Not only do they give us a splendid and lucid account of the theological development concerning Mary as the Mother of Jesus, particularly through the eyes of the Fathers of the Church, but they also beautifully show how this theological understanding of Mary nurtured a deep love and devotion to Mary through the ages. They illuminate the truth that to know and love Mary, the Mother of God, is to know and love Jesus, the Father's Son. -- Thomas G. Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap., member of the Vatican's International Theological Commission
A most artful presentation ... If you love Jesus, and are in awe of the Incarnation of the Logos, this book will stir your heart to greater love of and devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Read it. Pray it. And be drawn into the Mystery of God Incarnate and the heart of the Church! -- John Michael Talbot, author, The Master Musician: Meditations on Jesus
