Our Lord is constantly pouring out graces upon mankind, yet only a few — those closest to His heart — know how to receive them. Sadly, countless graces are left unclaimed (likely many by you!) and are thus never allowed to further God’s will on earth. How different our lives would be if we accessed God’s grace more intentionally! Thankfully, God in His compassion gave us a perfect model for disposing ourselves to His graces and responding to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In The Imitation of Mary, Fr. Quan Tran shows you how to imitate the twelve essential qualities of Mary in order to unleash a torrent of graces in your life. He explains that, like any gift, grace must be received, opened, and used. As you learn how, you’ll begin to acquire the temperaments, dispositions, and qualities that are most pleasing to God — and you’ll serve as a channel of God’s grace for others. You’ll also • The three major obstacles to living a life of faith • What to do if you experience a crisis of faith • The four levels of happiness — and how to acquire them • How it’s possible for you to merit an increase in graces • Seven ways you can cultivate a rich devotion to Our Lady • The difference between sanctifying grace and actual grace • The four effects that grace will have on your soul
This is a beautifully written book that is a great help in living out my Catholic faith. I have always had a devotion to Mary, but this reading has cemented that devotion. God entrusted Mary to be his son's mother, and when Jesus was dying on the cross, he entrusted his mother to St. John. In doing so, he also gave his mother to us to lead us on the right path to heaven. Great spiritual book.
Beautiful book to help one grow. Life is about losing the self and growing in holiness, trusting God, loving with all of our being. We are not alone in this journey...all the angels and saints are praying for us. Mary's example brings us ever closer to God.
Really great overall, but wish it focused even more on how to imitate Mary, who modeled her love for Jesus and obedience to God perfectly. It was easy to comprehend the theological reasoning, which was appreciated, however I expected it to be more theologically comprehensive and primarily focused on Mary rather than Christianity as a whole.
Overall a really beautiful read that makes practicing holiness so simple and compelling. I gained a deeper disposition of gratitude and a better posture towards the Lord. At times it was a little cheesy and the practical suggestions weren’t always very practical.