Refectory Reading Review: Lectio Mary
Our community has been the blessed beneficiary of recorded content produced by The Augustine Institute. Most recently, we listened to Lectio Mary: The Bible and the Mother of God as part of our meal reading. There was so much engaging material presented in this series, that listening to it once was not enough; a group of us met weekly to go through the series again as a group lectio exercise, following the accompanying workbook. If you want to know why Mary is so important to Catholics or want to deepen your relationship with Jesus and Mary, this series is for you.
The presenter in the series is Dr. Brant Pitre, Distinguished Research Professor of Scripture at The Augustine Institute. He received his Ph.D. in New Testament and ancient Judaism from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana and focuses his teaching and writing on the Bible and on the Jewish roots of Scripture and Christianity. Over the course of eight sessions, averaging 30 – 40 minutes each, Dr. Pitre explores seven different aspects of Mary by examining the Old and New Testaments, as well as teachings by the Church Fathers. He clears up many misconceptions about Mary and explains what the Catholic Church believes and teaches; his approach to these issues is clear and understandable while remaining very engaging.
The accompanying workbook gave the lectio group great questions to help facilitate study, meditation, and discussions on the material presented in the sessions. There were many things presented through the sessions and questions asked in the workbook that were new to some of us, or the topics were approached in a unique way, which made them all the more richer in application to our spiritual lives.
As Catholics, what we believe about Mary is rooted in Jesus, and as we deepen our relationship with Mary, she always leads us to her Son, Jesus. This is even more vital during these times in which we live. We need to cultivate our relationship with our Mother Mary, who is the new Eve, the Mother of the Messiah, our Queen, and the Mother of Sorrows. This Saturday is the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, a day we can imitate her example in presenting ourselves to God. Next month, with Advent and Christmas, is the perfect season to grow closer to Jesus through Mary. We cannot recommend this series enough for those looking to deepen their love for Mary and gain a clearer understanding of her proper role in our lives as Christians.