Top 10 books to better know Our Lady
- Leila Joy Castillo
- May 9
- 6 min read
I’m a cradle Catholic, yet it was a long time before I truly had a relationship with Our Lady. This surprised me because the Blessed Mother was always part of my life. Since childhood, Marian morning offerings and the Rosary were fixed in my prayer routine, and I loved lingering before her beautiful statues. She was always there, but we had yet to click. Saints speak about how Mary leads us to Christ, but sometimes we must ask Christ to bring us to his Mother, and this was certainly my experience.
Everything changed when the Blessed Mother met me in my love language: quality time. As with close earthly relationships, spiritual quality time is more than simply passing time with another person; it’s a place for sharing hearts. To love someone, you must know them, yet to know them, you must listen and speak, share and be seen. How does this translate to the spiritual life? The gap between earth and eternity looms large, Scripture only carries us so far, and we do not hear the Blessed Mother’s voice amid our Rosary or silent prayer. I can have a heart-to-heart with a sister at a favorite coffee shop, but how would I establish quality time with Our Lady?
Everything changed when the Blessed Mother met me in my love language: quality time.
The Blessed Mother answered, resolving this gap through another love language — well, one of my informal ones: books. She offered me a deeper connection with her through the gift of spiritual reading.
Perhaps you have also found it difficult to establish closeness with the Blessed Mother or would like to know her better. Maybe your experience of Our Lady is colored by the glowing serenity of her statues, such that she does not quite feel relatable to you. Yet she wants a deep encounter with all her children and desires that we discover her riches. Read on for my list of the top ten books that will transform your relationship with Our Lady!
Enter into moments of Mary’s life
Where Scripture is simple and succinct, the wisdom of a learned guide leads us in.
“The World’s First Love” by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will forever be my favorite work on Our Lady; it was my first avenue toward a deeper love for her, and I cannot praise it highly enough. Archbishop Sheen integrates Scripture, tradition, and the wisdom of Western civilization (art, literature, music, philosophy) into spiritually and intellectually nourishing teachings. His eloquence and wisdom open a sublime window into Our Lady’s heart and show us the world through the lens of her maternal love.
“The Seven Sorrows of Mary” and “The Seven Joys of Mary” by Father Romanus Cessario, O.P., are spiritual masterpieces by an eminent current theologian (and professor at my alma mater). In each book, Father Cessario synthesizes Scripture, saints, systematic theology, and even literary references into reflections that accompany a vibrant artistic depiction of each joy or sorrow of Mary. The short chapters on these moments of Our Lady’s life are excellent as weekly reflections or material to ponder on First Saturdays.
Grow in the Marian virtues
Imagine the Blessed Mother hosting you for tea. What is that heart-to-heart conversation like? How does this glimpse into her life impact you?
“Mary, Teach Me to Be Your Daughter” by Megan Madden is a recently published must-read for every Catholic woman. Megan journeys through Mary’s life, contemplating her ten principal virtues (as articulated by St. Louis de Montfort) while relating them to other important spiritual qualities and our identity as women. Reading “Mary, Teach Me” led me to a more intimate relationship with our beautiful heavenly Mother; my daily Rosaries were renewed, and Our Lady became relatable to me in new ways. (Megan offers lovely content on femininity, motherhood, and timeless beauty on Instagram via @amotherslace.)
“Home // Blessed Conversations Catholic Study on the Virtues of Mary” by Blessed is She is an enriching twelve-week study also based on Our Lady’s ten principal virtues. The reflections inside this beautiful publication follow a comforting and familiar structure: the steps for baking bread. Drawing close to her hearth, we can receive the recipe for sanctity, and have our lives filled with the aroma of her virtues. Relish a prayerful journey through this study on your own or invite other women to journey through it with you!
Tap into Catholic tradition about Our Lady
The eloquence of these classic spiritual works pays due homage to our mother and queen.
“The Imitation of Mary” by Father Alexander De Rouville, S.J., is a lesser-known companion to the classic “Imitation of Christ.” This little volume is divided into four books focusing on eras of Our Lady’s life and our sentiments toward her, often as a dialogue between Mary and the believer. She calls us higher as she discloses how we might imitate her diligence, humility, faith, poverty, friendship, suffering, and much more.
“The Glories of Mary” by St. Alphonsus Liguori ponders phrase by phrase the “Hail, Holy Queen.” Each section contains deeply theological teachings about the Blessed Mother, followed by a tale about her intercession and a prayer. Liguori writes with the flourish of beautiful old prose somewhat foreign to our modern ears, yet our glorious and noble queen merits no less. “The Glories of Mary” is a work to take your time with and read prayerfully, but thanks to St. Alphonsus, you’ll never think of the “Hail, Holy Queen” the same way again.
“True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort changed the course of Marian spirituality for the Church, and passages and insights from it are likely familiar to many Catholics. Reading “True Devotion” illuminates the role that God bestowed upon Our Lady in the Christian life and describes how consecration to her bears fruit for our faith and our entire lives. If you’ve made a Marian consecration using “33 Days to Morning Glory” or a similar study, consider going straight to the source. Through De Montfort’s eloquence, you can rediscover one of the greatest formulas for holiness.
Rediscover your womanhood in hers
Ponder some philosophy, and revel in the deepest realities of femininity with these titles.
“The Reed of God” by Caryll Houselander captivated my heart when I read it one Advent; it is particularly fitting to read before Christmas because many of Houselander’s reflections are steeped in the early mysteries of Mary’s motherhood. “The Reed of God” invites us into a more intimate journey with Mary, from the silence of her expectancy to her time seeking him in the temple.
“The Privilege of Being a Woman” by Alice von Hildebrand, an insightful response to feminism, culminates with a chapter reflecting on womanhood in light of Our Lady. Dr. von Hildebrand’s inspiring exploration of the nature and supernatural mission of woman gains new significance when we look at the truest archetype of womanhood, the humble Virgin Mother, who shows us how to live and love.
Our Lady is the woman whose virtue, far from making her less accessible to us, compels her to extend her welcoming arms toward us more and more.
Behold your mother
Wherever you find yourself in your relationship with Our Lady, I hope these books fill your spiritual life with a beautiful new understanding of what she desires to speak to you. She is a gentle mother who waits for us to come to her, yet she is always present and paves our way toward her. Our Lady is the woman whose virtue, far from making her less accessible to us, compels her to extend her welcoming arms toward us more and more. May these books help you grow closer to your mama.
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