The Gospel of John records the well-known miracle of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Before the miraculous event takes place, Mary tells the servants at the wedding, "Do whatever he tells you." Here, as in nearly all the scriptural accounts involving Mary, she directs the attention to Jesus. So, too, the best of the Marian prayers direct us to Christ.
In A Book of Marian Prayers by William G. Storey, readers will discover a vast collection of Christ-centered Marian prayers. These prayers are taken from the great tradition of Catholic devotional prayer, including A Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Twenty Mysteries of the Rosary, and Novenas to Mary. Also included in the book is a special prayer to Mary written by Pope John Paul II. The prayers span a period of nearly 19 centuries, taking us from the Marian prayers of the early Church to today's popular Marian prayers.
The most comprehensive collection of classic Marian prayers available today, A Book of Marian Prayers will appeal to all Catholics who feel a sense of devotion to Mary. At the same time, these content-rich prayers serve to remind Catholics that Mary does not point us to herself, but rather points us to her Son, Jesus.