Book Review: And the Mother of Jesus Was There
And the Mother of Jesus Was There
Jeevan Dhara Ashram Society
1991
Using the words of an Irish Ballad on Mary for the theme of her reflections, Sr. Vandana shares with the reader her own rich and enlightened meditations on Mary: her eyes, thoughts and lips, her hands and feet, her quiet and stillness, her faith, and finally her heart. This small 56-page volume contains a wealth of both Christian and Indian sources and reflections, with helpful aids for prayer suggested from both traditions.
The book, as Cardinal Pimenta, Archbishop of Bombay, says in the Foreword, is truly the meditations of “a woman of wisdom, a woman truly Indian and truly Christian.” And a woman who truly loves Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Sr. Pascaline Coff, OSB, was one of the founding members of MID and has been one of its most loyal and dedicated supporters ever since. Among her many contributions to the board have been those of serving as executive secretary and as the first editor of the AIM/MID bulletin. She is the co-founder of Osage Monastery in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. She is a member of the Bede Griffiths International Literary Trust. Osage Monastery is one of the Bede Griffiths Centers that has a significant collection of his works.
Sr. Vandana belongs to the Congregation of the Sacred Heart. She lives in Jeevan-Dhara Sadhana Kuttir in Rishikesh in the Himalayas and has been engaged in interreligious dialogue for many years with Hindu masters, sadhakas, and others. With her colleague, Ishpriya Mataji, she gives courses based on yoga spirituality in different continents.