CBB Review – Keeping Mary Close

The faithful of the Church have held a special place of honor for Mary for centuries. This began in the very early years of the Church and continues today. In their new book Keeping Mary Close: Devotion to Our Lady through the Ages, co-authors Mike Aquilina and Father Frederick Gruber take a close look at how devotion to Mary developed. They focus on the early Church Fathers and practices of the early Christians to show readers the evidence that Mary has always held a special place in the hearts of the faithful.

The book focuses its attention on the period from A.D. 30 (roughly the date of the events in the Upper Room) to A.D 431 (The Council of Ephesus). Along the way readers will encounter the words of some of the truly learned Church Fathers. Justin, Irenaeus, Origen, Ephrem, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa and Epiphanius are just some of the names you will encounter in the 121 pages of this book. Each of them builds upon and adds to the foundation of Marian theology which results in the current understanding and belief Catholics are familiar with today.

It is important to learn why we have these beliefs but perhaps even more so how these beliefs came to be. As you will learn many are rooted in Scripture and just as many are deeply rooted in Tradition. We well know that our faith is built on both of these pillars so it is wise to study each particularly when it comes to the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mike and Father Gruber utilize the writings of the Church Fathers, archaeological discoveries and documented stories to reveal the truth of Marian devotion. A chapter is devoted to Mary’s role in Scripture. Her integral role in the life of Christ to her presence in the Upper Room at the birth of the Church, Mary’s role is of significant importance. In addition to the Scriptures many books from what is known as the apocrypha reference Mary. Though these titles are not canonical and sometimes tell somewhat sensationalized tales of our Blessed Mother, it is important to note that the fact they spend time discussing Mary they are a witness to the importance of Marian devotion to the early Christians.

As the book progresses we learn of the importance of her name and the popularity of that name in the ancient world. We discover the early churches viewpoint of Mary under various titles such as Virgin, the New Eve and Mother of God. Multiple non-Christian entities during the fledgling years of the Church worked hard at attempting to diminish Mary’s role but the Church Fathers were always there to defend their Mother. All of this culminated in the Council of Ephesus where the St. Cyril of Alexandria gave testimony to “the Church’s progress since the apostolic age, giving ample credit to the Blessed Virgin.”

If you have any curiosity in how the Church’s teaching on Mary developed this book will be a good place to start. It’s an easy but informative read that will provide readers with a better understanding of the foundation laid by the early Christians. For an even clearer understanding of the books content I will close this review with an excerpt:

“Mary always stands in the midst of the Church. That is what we learn from the constant witness of the Fathers.

She is in its Scriptures.

She is in its preaching and proclamation.

She is in its poetry and songs.

She is in its creeds.

She is in the catacombs in Rome and the cemeteries of the Fayoum.

She is in its mosaics, frescos, and sculpture.

She is in graffiti at the Church’s pilgrim shrines.

She is in the apocrypha and pseudeigrapha.

She is in the Church’s calendar, on her feasts and those of her son.

She is burnished onto oil lamps and minted in coins.

She is ever among her fellow disciples. She is a mother to them, because she mothers her son, in whom they live.”