Insightful thoughts and stunning illustrations illuminate the mystery of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and one of the most popular religious figures. "Blessed Art Thou Among Women" is a beautiful collection of meditations from today's most prominent religious thinkers and popular personalities depicting Mary in all her incarnations throughout history and throughout the world.

Let's talk about Mary. Not everyone needs a brother or sister or savior, or accepts that a savior has arrived historically or will do so one day. But everyone once had a mother. We all need the mother figure, and if any confirmation of this basic fact is required, it lies in the great respect shown "Mary" or "Miriam" by other religions. Jesus does not necessarily figure as a vessel of salvation for Muslims and Jews, but He is held in high regard, and the young woman who gave birth to Him and raised Him is praised. Whoever she was, she must have been substantial, smart and strong. She must have been a fine mother.

Each of the eight chapters takes a period of up to forty years and examines the medium through the lenses of art, science, social science, travel, war, fashion, the mass media and individual practitioners.-Back Cover.

Much of the history of women, in religion as in other fields, is lost because it was overlooked or considered unimportant. It is therefore surprising that so many fragments of women's stories survive in the New Testament texts composed by men. Why did they include so many references to women and why are women, as a group, treated so positively by the male New Testament writers? Women in the New Testament shows how the stories of women are an integral part of the Gospel and its meaning for us. It also relays how we can respond to the challenge these women represent, whether we are men trying to understand or women trying to find our voices within the tradition of faith found in the New Testament. Chapter one discusses three women of expectant faith. Chapters two and three deal with women who are changed by Jesus. Chapter four focuses on New Testament women of influence. Chapters five and six show how women disciples spread and gave shape to the gospel message. Chapters are "Women of Expectant Faith," “Women Changed by Jesus,” “More Women Changed by Jesus,” “Women of Prominence,” “Women and Discipleship,” and “More Women and Discipleship.” Mary Ann Getty-Sullivan, PhD, teaches at St. Vincent College and St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She is the author of First and Second Corinthians from the Collegeville Bible Commentary series, author of the God Speaks to Us series of children's books, and editor of the Zacchaeus Studies: New Testament series published by The Liturgical Press. "

LIFE Magazine presents Legendary Women of the Bible.

The Angelus is a centuries-old Catholic devotion that recalls the annunciation of Christ’s birth by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. In Praying the Angelus, popular author and speaker Jared Dees reinvigorates the devotion, shares intimately from his own experience of it, shows us how to get started, and enriches the practice with original meditations to reflect on the words of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli. Jared Dees was twenty-seven and in his fourth year of teaching religion in a Catholic school when he first experienced the Angelus. The creator of The Religion Teacher website allows the devotion to anchor his prayer life and challenge him to daily conversion of heart and will. Dees introduces the Angelus devotion and explores its rich history and significance for the Church. As spiritual companion and guide, he offers meditations on the words and images of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli, which is prayed during the Easter season. We find lessons about the power of repetitive prayer, the humility of being a disciple, the importance of admitting time belongs to God, the wisdom of taking time with discernment, and the joy of resting in the Lord’s presence. He shares personal stories of the life-change power of the Angelus and guides both newcomers and those already familiar with the prayer to contemplate the mysteries of salvation that lie at the heart of the devotion—the Annunciation, Incarnation, and Resurrection. Named for the opening words of the devotion's first prayer in Latin, "The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary," the Angelus is typically prayed at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. each day. Likewise the Regina Caeli is named for the opening lines of its prayer, "Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia." Praying the Angelus is supported by Dees’s website, TheAngelusPrayer.com, where people can gather online to participate in and share this devotion with others.