World's First Love: Mary, Mother of God

Everything Fulton Sheen has written is excellent, but for me, this is the best. So beautifully written and a wonderful explanation for the amazing wisdom of this truly grace filled priest.

What a wonderful book, spiritually enlightening with just the right temper of theology and easy to understand. Our Blessed Mother knows more about our own sufferings, anguish, heartaches and loss then we can imagine. She experienced all of these things as Simeon had foretold, "and a sword shall pierce thy heart".Chapter 5 was my favorite chapter; "All Mothers Are Alike - Save One." Bishop sheen writes "If Mary were the mother of any other man, then she could not also be our mother, because the ties of the flesh are too exclusive. Flesh allows only one mother. The step between a mother and a stepmother is long, and few there are who can make it. But Spirit allows another mother. Since Mary is the mother of God, then she can be the mother of everyone whom Christ redeemed. The key to understanding Mary is this: We do not start with Mary. We start with Christ, the Son of the Living God!...Never will it be found that anyone who really loves Our Lord as a Divine Savior dislikes Mary. Those who dislike any devotion to Mary are those who deny His Divinity or find fault with Our Lord because of what He says about hell, divorce and judgement."This book was originally published in 1952 and it's amazing after 50 plus years, Bishop Sheen is still speaking to us and leading us to Christ.

Bishop Sheen's book is a learned, inspirational, and entertaining study of the role of Mary in Christianity. I highly recommend it and hope more readers find it as moving as I did.

Of the 60 or so books he wrote, this was Bishop Sheen’s favorite. I am a life long Catholic and love the Blessed Virgin, but have never understood the whole Marian theology as well as I should. World’s First Love is written and explained by Bishop Sheen in a manner that is suited to a deeper understanding of the Virgin Mary even if you’re not a theologian. This is not to say it is an easy or cursory read, but it is written in such a way that with some focus and concentration the logic, concepts and scriptural support come together in a productive as well as enjoyable read. Hope this review is helpful.

"The Church was spread throughout the Roman Empire before a single book of the New Testament was written.... [T]wo - and only two - of the Twelve left a Gospel.... The Church was an organic body of cohesion, the source of unity and authority.... If we had lived in the first twenty-five years of the Church, how would we have answered the question: "How can I know what I am to believe?" We could not have said, "I will look in the Bible". For there was no New Testament Bible then. We would have believed what the Apostolic Church was teaching.... When finally the Gospels were written, they recorded a tradition, they did not create it.... The Gospels did not start the Church; the Church started the Gospels.... The Church did not come to believe in the Virgin Birth because the Gospels tell us there is a Virgin Birth; it was because the living word of God in His Mystical Body already believed it that they set it down in the Gospels.... The Apostles' Creed [which specifically mentions the Virgin Birth] was an accepted formula in the Church around the year 100.... There is not *one* single quotation from the Gospels in the Creed.... And this much is certain: if the Apostles, who lived with Our Lord and who heard Him speak on the open hills and in the temple - who listened to Him preach on the Kingdom of God forty days after His Resurrection - did not teach the Virgin Birth, *no one else would have taught it*.... The real reason for incredulity is that the attack on the Virgin Birth is a subtle attack on the Divinity of Christ" (pp. 54-65).Bishop Sheen outdoes himself here. Protestants who thoughtlessly have imbibed negligence or, may God forbid, irreverence to the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ would do well to consult this work. Catholics already devoted to Mary will do well also because Bishop Sheen delivers a tour de force of logic and theology in assessing Mary's rightful place in the economy of salvation. See also  Our Lady of Good Success History, Miracles & Prophecies (DVD) .

The work of a masterful theologian. The last chapter will amaze you. If you had any doubts about certain aspects of Mary the mother of God's apparitions, you will no longer. I remember watching him on TV as a young man, this is but a continuation of the enthralling experience of many years ago. Highly reccomended.

While searching for reading material related to Mary, came upon this book on amazon.com.Rated it as heavy reading because I have had some difficulty in following or internalizing whatBishop Sheen is saying in some parts of the book. I have persisted in reading though as I toohave read parts that were very informing and understandable. Haven't finished as it is slow readingbut have already planned to read it a second time believing that I may then understand more andhave a greater insight into Mary and her role in the church.

This is a good read, to learn more of Mary Mother of Jesus this is the best book to purchase. Thought provoking.

Very satisfied with service and book, will order again in the future. Thank you very much. Michael Campbell

Deep and thought provoking book, easy to read.

A truly wonderful book

the blessed VIrgin Mary has always been a subject of wonder in all the religions of the world and bishop Sheen shows this in this book