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Meditations on Mary, Our Mother
Most Catholics who know anything at all about Newman are familiar with his journey from Anglicanism to Rome. What may surprise them is the key role that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary played in that conversion.
Apart from the Papacy, devotion to Mary is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the majority of Protestants. Yet, Newman had already developed a devotion to Mary and a defense of some Catholic doctrines on the subject even while he was still a Protestant.
Newman’s journey to the Church can said to have been guided by Our Lady, toward the kindly light which he was to rest in.
In honor of his canonization, this volume draws together Newman’s Marian writings into an anthology of this new saint’s profound writings on our Lady. Some are doctrinal or apologetic while others are deeply devotional meditations. These two approaches, not only show two sides of Saint John Henry Newman’s character they will increase your own love and devotion to Our Lady. They illuminate the great depths of Marian doctrine from the Church’s treasury with which Newman has so powerfully permeated his own pages, and cause us to go to her for aid.
Apart from the Papacy, devotion to Mary is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the majority of Protestants. Yet, Newman had already developed a devotion to Mary and a defense of some Catholic doctrines on the subject even while he was still a Protestant.
Newman’s journey to the Church can said to have been guided by Our Lady, toward the kindly light which he was to rest in.
In honor of his canonization, this volume draws together Newman’s Marian writings into an anthology of this new saint’s profound writings on our Lady. Some are doctrinal or apologetic while others are deeply devotional meditations. These two approaches, not only show two sides of Saint John Henry Newman’s character they will increase your own love and devotion to Our Lady. They illuminate the great depths of Marian doctrine from the Church’s treasury with which Newman has so powerfully permeated his own pages, and cause us to go to her for aid.
128 pages, Paperback
Published November 27, 2019
28 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
John Henry Newman
2,021 books286 followersSaint John Henry Cardinal Newman was an important figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century. He was known nationally by the mid-1830s.
Originally an evangelical Oxford University academic and priest in the Church of England, Newman then became drawn to the high-church tradition of Anglicanism. He became known as a leader of, and an able polemicist for, the Oxford Movement, an influential and controversial grouping of Anglicans who wished to return to the Church of England many Catholic beliefs and liturgical rituals from before the English Reformation. In this the movement had some success. However, in 1845 Newman, joined by some but not all of his followers, left the Church of England and his teaching post at Oxford University and was received into the Catholic Church. He was quickly ordained as a priest and continued as an influential religious leader, based in Birmingham. In 1879, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his services to the cause of the Catholic Church in England. He was instrumental in the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland, which evolved into University College Dublin, today the largest university in Ireland.
Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 September 2010 during his visit to the United Kingdom. He was then canonised by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019.
Newman was also a literary figure of note: his major writings including the Tracts for the Times (1833–1841), his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua (1865–66), the Grammar of Assent (1870), and the poem The Dream of Gerontius (1865),[6] which was set to music in 1900 by Edward Elgar. He wrote the popular hymns "Lead, Kindly Light" and "Praise to the Holiest in the Height" (taken from Gerontius).
Originally an evangelical Oxford University academic and priest in the Church of England, Newman then became drawn to the high-church tradition of Anglicanism. He became known as a leader of, and an able polemicist for, the Oxford Movement, an influential and controversial grouping of Anglicans who wished to return to the Church of England many Catholic beliefs and liturgical rituals from before the English Reformation. In this the movement had some success. However, in 1845 Newman, joined by some but not all of his followers, left the Church of England and his teaching post at Oxford University and was received into the Catholic Church. He was quickly ordained as a priest and continued as an influential religious leader, based in Birmingham. In 1879, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his services to the cause of the Catholic Church in England. He was instrumental in the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland, which evolved into University College Dublin, today the largest university in Ireland.
Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 September 2010 during his visit to the United Kingdom. He was then canonised by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019.
Newman was also a literary figure of note: his major writings including the Tracts for the Times (1833–1841), his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua (1865–66), the Grammar of Assent (1870), and the poem The Dream of Gerontius (1865),[6] which was set to music in 1900 by Edward Elgar. He wrote the popular hymns "Lead, Kindly Light" and "Praise to the Holiest in the Height" (taken from Gerontius).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2020
This is one of three new editions of works from this saint, available from Tan Books in new editions. The other two volumes that were released at the same time are Stations of the Cross and Prayers Before The Eucharist. The first was a reprint in new format, and this is a new volume. It is drawn from four different volumes published between 1900 and 1909. The books the selections are drawn from are:
Essay on the Development of Doctrine
Difficulties of Anglicans
Parochial and Plain Sermons,
Meditations and Devotions
The chapters are:
Mary The Mother Of God
Mary, The Second Eve
Ever-Virgin
The Dignity Of Mary
Sanctity Of Mary
The Immaculate Conception
The Assumption
Intercessory Power Of The Blessed Virgin
Devotion To The Blessed Virgin
With the Canonization of John Henry Cardinal Newman in 2019 there has been a great resurgence of interest in him and his works. And these new volumes from Tan are excellent. We are tol in the introduction:
“Apart from the Papacy, devotion to Mary is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the majority of Protestants. Yet, Newman had already developed a devotion to Mary and a defense of some Catholic doctrines on the subject even while he was still a Protestant.”
And also
“His acceptance of the Incarnation is the most important for his developing views on Mary. Christ became incarnate in time through a woman—who was this woman? Could she really be an insignificant figure? Moreover, as a student of history, Newman was well aware of early Christological controversies and early heresies in regard to the Incarnation. He was able to see clearly that they all received their death-blow when the Council of Ephesus had declared her to be Theotokos—Mother of God.”
And finally:
“As his Marian doctrine and devotion grew, Newman ran up against a great road-block. In general, as the Tractarian controversy raged, and he was dissatisfied with the rejection of what he saw as historic Christianity by his own Church. He began to have a greater love, even longing for Rome, the mother of English Christianity. He felt, however, that whereas he had a logical, dogmatic based view of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholics went too far and said too much. Time, reading and prayer, however, would convince him otherwise,”
This volume is compiled from a mix of letters, sermons, meditations, essays, and other works. It is a wonderful collection. It is a volume I have read and will read again. Each chapter is made up from several entries of the various formats. It is a great read for a wide audience. If you already have a devotion to Mary, it will help you understand her better. If you wonder what all the fuss about Mary is, it will make that clear. I am very grateful to have read this book during Holy Saturday this year. It is a volume I have read and will read again. The introduction ended with these words:
“In honor of his canonization, this present volume draws together Newman’s Marian writings into an anthology, and organizes them topically. We have drawn both from works that are doctrinal and apologetic, as well as devotional meditations, so as to show both sides of Newman’s character. On the one hand, his profoundly logical, deep, and intellectual bearing, and on the other, the profound love that permeated his heart. Together, they show the great depths of Marian doctrine from the Church’s treasury with which Newman has so powerfully permeated his own pages. In some places we have made minor edits for archaic language, as well as to tailor the readings for the purpose of this anthology.”
And it delivers on that goal. Another excellent volume. And one well worth picking up.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by and about Saint John Henry Newman.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
Essay on the Development of Doctrine
Difficulties of Anglicans
Parochial and Plain Sermons,
Meditations and Devotions
The chapters are:
Mary The Mother Of God
Mary, The Second Eve
Ever-Virgin
The Dignity Of Mary
Sanctity Of Mary
The Immaculate Conception
The Assumption
Intercessory Power Of The Blessed Virgin
Devotion To The Blessed Virgin
With the Canonization of John Henry Cardinal Newman in 2019 there has been a great resurgence of interest in him and his works. And these new volumes from Tan are excellent. We are tol in the introduction:
“Apart from the Papacy, devotion to Mary is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the majority of Protestants. Yet, Newman had already developed a devotion to Mary and a defense of some Catholic doctrines on the subject even while he was still a Protestant.”
And also
“His acceptance of the Incarnation is the most important for his developing views on Mary. Christ became incarnate in time through a woman—who was this woman? Could she really be an insignificant figure? Moreover, as a student of history, Newman was well aware of early Christological controversies and early heresies in regard to the Incarnation. He was able to see clearly that they all received their death-blow when the Council of Ephesus had declared her to be Theotokos—Mother of God.”
And finally:
“As his Marian doctrine and devotion grew, Newman ran up against a great road-block. In general, as the Tractarian controversy raged, and he was dissatisfied with the rejection of what he saw as historic Christianity by his own Church. He began to have a greater love, even longing for Rome, the mother of English Christianity. He felt, however, that whereas he had a logical, dogmatic based view of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholics went too far and said too much. Time, reading and prayer, however, would convince him otherwise,”
This volume is compiled from a mix of letters, sermons, meditations, essays, and other works. It is a wonderful collection. It is a volume I have read and will read again. Each chapter is made up from several entries of the various formats. It is a great read for a wide audience. If you already have a devotion to Mary, it will help you understand her better. If you wonder what all the fuss about Mary is, it will make that clear. I am very grateful to have read this book during Holy Saturday this year. It is a volume I have read and will read again. The introduction ended with these words:
“In honor of his canonization, this present volume draws together Newman’s Marian writings into an anthology, and organizes them topically. We have drawn both from works that are doctrinal and apologetic, as well as devotional meditations, so as to show both sides of Newman’s character. On the one hand, his profoundly logical, deep, and intellectual bearing, and on the other, the profound love that permeated his heart. Together, they show the great depths of Marian doctrine from the Church’s treasury with which Newman has so powerfully permeated his own pages. In some places we have made minor edits for archaic language, as well as to tailor the readings for the purpose of this anthology.”
And it delivers on that goal. Another excellent volume. And one well worth picking up.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by and about Saint John Henry Newman.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
June 26, 2024
This is an interesting collection of short pieces by Cardinal St. John Henry Newman on the Virgin Mary. In the past, I spent a lot of time with Protestants having lively discussions about theology, and so am aware that the Catholic position on this subject is often misrepresented by them. For exmaple, Protestants often believe that Catholics 'worship' the Virgin Mary almost on a par with Christ, which is not actually the case, though she is generally venerated much more deeply than other saints.
Another reason this seemed potentially interesting was because Newman was a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism, and his journey was profoundly deeply thought through. Not feeling ready to tackle his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua, this seemed to be a more gentle introduction to his writings.
The English is that of a 19th-century educated man, quite flowery and poetic, and the theological observations probably fairly abstruse for some. However, it definitely articulates some decent justifications for the position of Mary in the Catholic tradition, something that is heavily contested among many Protestant denominations. It often seems to take converts to write these kinds of tracts, as they tend to wrestle with doctrinal differences more than cradle Catholics, and then become quite passionate in their articulation of doctrines once they convert. While some would say that Newman's conversion from high Anglicanism wasn't that much of a change, clearly to Newman himself, it was of vital importance to wrestle with each and every doctrinal question in depth.
While the book is of its time in some respects, it's also a beautifully written collection of poetic meditations.
Another reason this seemed potentially interesting was because Newman was a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism, and his journey was profoundly deeply thought through. Not feeling ready to tackle his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua, this seemed to be a more gentle introduction to his writings.
The English is that of a 19th-century educated man, quite flowery and poetic, and the theological observations probably fairly abstruse for some. However, it definitely articulates some decent justifications for the position of Mary in the Catholic tradition, something that is heavily contested among many Protestant denominations. It often seems to take converts to write these kinds of tracts, as they tend to wrestle with doctrinal differences more than cradle Catholics, and then become quite passionate in their articulation of doctrines once they convert. While some would say that Newman's conversion from high Anglicanism wasn't that much of a change, clearly to Newman himself, it was of vital importance to wrestle with each and every doctrinal question in depth.
While the book is of its time in some respects, it's also a beautifully written collection of poetic meditations.
November 25, 2025
My first reading of anything by St. John Henry Newman. So good. And now, he recently has been elevated to Doctor of the Church. I love having another Doctor that is so Marian.
[Impromptu sharing of the Gospel:]
Do not let recent Catholic- Marian news bring you down. One day, the Church will bravely proclaim its fifth and final Marian Dogma that The Blessed Virgin Mary ABSOLUTELY IS: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate and Spiritual Mother of all peoples.
Remember also what "Co" means.
The prefix "co-" in "co-pilot" means "jointly," "together," or "auxiliary," indicating that a co-pilot is a joint pilot who assists or relieves the main pilot. This is exactly Mary's participation in our Redemption as Coredemptrix. There is no question Jesus (the main pilot in this analogy) is our Redeemer, and the one Mediator between us and God the Father. But, as is demonstrated time and again, throughout the Divine Revelation of His so lovingly-shared Sacred Scriptures, it is apparent that it pleases God to work through human intercessors-- or secondary causes.
Case in point: Moses parting the Red Sea.
Primary Cause: God
Secondary Cause/Intercessor: Moses.
Other examples? Moses striking the rock and water flowing from it; Abraham interceding for Sodom; The Apostles Distribution of the Miraculous Multiplied Bread; Elijah bringing down fire from heaven and
Oh, I don't know:
Jesus' first public miracle at the Wedding Feast at Cana!
It was performed because Mary interceded on the people's behalf.--- Just as she does now.
Her "Do whatever he tells you." was, in fact, her giving her son, Maternal Permission to begin His public ministry and His Passion. That was part of her sacrifice.
(Not to mention, her fiat to God so Jesus could even take on her humanity in the first place. God isn't a rapist, He is a lover. He required Mary's consent for His Plan of Salvation from all eternity and she freely gave it.)
The public outcry ( from Protestantism): "But, he called her Woman!"
Oh no! It wasn't even disrespectful in that culture 2K years ago like it is now for ours. And are you accusing Jesus of breaking the 4th Commandment? As a faithful Jew, and keeper of covenant laws, Jesus would have respected both His mother and father and would have been subject to their will. Think of the sheer Humility of Jesus--of God Incarnate-- that for 30 years He was obedient, enduring and enjoying subjugation under Mary and Joseph --- and He learned from them! Read these two sentences dedicated to His hidden life, from Luke's Gospel:
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. - (The Gospel According to St. Luke 2:51-52 RSV)
If we want to be more Christ-like as Christians, why would we not subject ourselves to Our Lady just as Our Lord did?
When Jesus calls his mother "Woman," ---as He does again from The Cross we put Him on with our sins---He is calling us back to The Protoevangelium or "First Gospel" found in the Book of Genesis wherein God says to the serpent (satan):
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” - (Gen. 3:15 RSV)
Just more proof of Mary, the New Eve's involvement in our Redemption.
"Thus, the knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve had bound up by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary set free by her faith."
- Early Church Father, Saint Irenaeus, 180 AD.
I get it. You may be asking "Why should I listen to some old man called Iranaeus?" The answer is, because he was a deciple of Saint Polycarp. And Polycarp was, himself, a disciple of
SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE
"the disciple whom Jesus loved"
The very person to whom, from the Cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother. And, it would appear, too, the care of the truth about her.
In his work, 'Against Heresies' St. Irenaeus of Lyons continues:
"And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience."
Also, not to mention (a whole seperate lengthy topic) the Blessed Virgin's extreme Martyrdom at the foot of the Cross. Being Immaculately Conceived, her senses aren't dulled by sin like ours are. At the foot of that Cross, amongst all the insults, hatred and spit directed at Our Lord and Savior, she felt more pain for sacrificing her Son than all of the Martyrs did combined.
Why? Why sporadically evangelize during an innocuous GR review that has very little chance of ever being read by another human being? Why do I care about Mary's titles and why should we care? It's simple. Because it's true! And by Jesus' Great Commission in Mathew's Gospel, I am commanded to share these truths.
Impromptu prayer:
Immaculata, Merciful Mother, thank you for your intercession, your prayers and your love. Thank you for always leading us to your son, saying as you did in Scripture, " Do whatever he tells you." I am sorry for all the offenses done to your Immaculate Heart and for those done to your Son's Sacred Heart, and I wish to make reparations. May all one day see you as the Mirror of God's love that you are.
Through your Precious Son, Christ, Our Lord, I pray, Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Our Lady of Sorrows, Mediatrix of Graces and Coredemptrix, pray for us!
St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family
and of The Universal Church, pray for us!
Doctor of the Church,
St. Cardinal Newman, pray for us!
[Impromptu sharing of the Gospel:]
Do not let recent Catholic- Marian news bring you down. One day, the Church will bravely proclaim its fifth and final Marian Dogma that The Blessed Virgin Mary ABSOLUTELY IS: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate and Spiritual Mother of all peoples.
Remember also what "Co" means.
The prefix "co-" in "co-pilot" means "jointly," "together," or "auxiliary," indicating that a co-pilot is a joint pilot who assists or relieves the main pilot. This is exactly Mary's participation in our Redemption as Coredemptrix. There is no question Jesus (the main pilot in this analogy) is our Redeemer, and the one Mediator between us and God the Father. But, as is demonstrated time and again, throughout the Divine Revelation of His so lovingly-shared Sacred Scriptures, it is apparent that it pleases God to work through human intercessors-- or secondary causes.
Case in point: Moses parting the Red Sea.
Primary Cause: God
Secondary Cause/Intercessor: Moses.
Other examples? Moses striking the rock and water flowing from it; Abraham interceding for Sodom; The Apostles Distribution of the Miraculous Multiplied Bread; Elijah bringing down fire from heaven and
Oh, I don't know:
Jesus' first public miracle at the Wedding Feast at Cana!
It was performed because Mary interceded on the people's behalf.--- Just as she does now.
Her "Do whatever he tells you." was, in fact, her giving her son, Maternal Permission to begin His public ministry and His Passion. That was part of her sacrifice.
(Not to mention, her fiat to God so Jesus could even take on her humanity in the first place. God isn't a rapist, He is a lover. He required Mary's consent for His Plan of Salvation from all eternity and she freely gave it.)
The public outcry ( from Protestantism): "But, he called her Woman!"
Oh no! It wasn't even disrespectful in that culture 2K years ago like it is now for ours. And are you accusing Jesus of breaking the 4th Commandment? As a faithful Jew, and keeper of covenant laws, Jesus would have respected both His mother and father and would have been subject to their will. Think of the sheer Humility of Jesus--of God Incarnate-- that for 30 years He was obedient, enduring and enjoying subjugation under Mary and Joseph --- and He learned from them! Read these two sentences dedicated to His hidden life, from Luke's Gospel:
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. - (The Gospel According to St. Luke 2:51-52 RSV)
If we want to be more Christ-like as Christians, why would we not subject ourselves to Our Lady just as Our Lord did?
When Jesus calls his mother "Woman," ---as He does again from The Cross we put Him on with our sins---He is calling us back to The Protoevangelium or "First Gospel" found in the Book of Genesis wherein God says to the serpent (satan):
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” - (Gen. 3:15 RSV)
Just more proof of Mary, the New Eve's involvement in our Redemption.
"Thus, the knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve had bound up by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary set free by her faith."
- Early Church Father, Saint Irenaeus, 180 AD.
I get it. You may be asking "Why should I listen to some old man called Iranaeus?" The answer is, because he was a deciple of Saint Polycarp. And Polycarp was, himself, a disciple of
SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE
"the disciple whom Jesus loved"
The very person to whom, from the Cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother. And, it would appear, too, the care of the truth about her.
In his work, 'Against Heresies' St. Irenaeus of Lyons continues:
"And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience."
Also, not to mention (a whole seperate lengthy topic) the Blessed Virgin's extreme Martyrdom at the foot of the Cross. Being Immaculately Conceived, her senses aren't dulled by sin like ours are. At the foot of that Cross, amongst all the insults, hatred and spit directed at Our Lord and Savior, she felt more pain for sacrificing her Son than all of the Martyrs did combined.
Why? Why sporadically evangelize during an innocuous GR review that has very little chance of ever being read by another human being? Why do I care about Mary's titles and why should we care? It's simple. Because it's true! And by Jesus' Great Commission in Mathew's Gospel, I am commanded to share these truths.
Impromptu prayer:
Immaculata, Merciful Mother, thank you for your intercession, your prayers and your love. Thank you for always leading us to your son, saying as you did in Scripture, " Do whatever he tells you." I am sorry for all the offenses done to your Immaculate Heart and for those done to your Son's Sacred Heart, and I wish to make reparations. May all one day see you as the Mirror of God's love that you are.
Through your Precious Son, Christ, Our Lord, I pray, Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Our Lady of Sorrows, Mediatrix of Graces and Coredemptrix, pray for us!
St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family
and of The Universal Church, pray for us!
Doctor of the Church,
St. Cardinal Newman, pray for us!
August 22, 2021
According to Cardinal Newman, Catholic devotion to Mary was initially the biggest stumbling block in his conversion from Anglicanism, but soon spurred on his walk to Rome. In this collection, the editors have compiled Cardinal Newman's writings on a variety of Marian dogmas and doctrine. These are written in an easy, understandable, English style, suited to Anglo audiences (to which many Catholic writings do not cater). One would feel comfortable purchasing this book and giving it to Protestant friends, so simple and common-sensical are his defenses and promotions of Our Lady. I was pleased to find some of my logic sanctioned (with far greater ability and devotion) by Cardinal Newman in his comparisons between Our Lady and Eve.
A short, worthwhile read.
A short, worthwhile read.
June 9, 2025
I read this book specifically because I do not like the topic. That makes me somewhat of an unfair rater, and I predictably did not enjoy the book. I do like Newman's style, and his attempt to use logic to win over Marian skeptics. Since I had known him to be a former Marian skeptic himself, I thought he might be a little more persuasive to skeptics than the book is. Maybe a little more personal about how he felt as he underwent his transformation and how he feels having transformed. But those elements were weak if present at all. Rather, it focuses on praise of Mary, and on the doctrinal fitness of Marian devotion, which was fine, but not that compelling to me.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews