Hans Christian Andersen illuminated by The Message
When Mary K. Doyle was a child, she was entranced with the stories her mother read from Andersen’s Fairy Tales. “Make-believe came to life,” she writes in her introduction, “with characters I could see and hear. Their problems were real to me. Their fears and joys were mine…. The underlying lessons and morals intertwined in his enchanting stories teach about loving one another, right and wrong, and the consequences of bullying, lying, and cheating. He also writes of siblings and friends caring for one another. And many of his characters pray and call on God in their times of need.” Mary has chosen fifty passages from her fragile childhood copy of Andersen’s Fairy Tales, including “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Tinder Box,” and “The Snow Queen.” Her choice of passages from The Message is truly illuminating.
Mary K. Doyle is a former feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, book author, blogger (Doyle’s Delights and Midwest Mary), and trade representative for ACTA Publications. She writes and speaks on the topics of caregiving (especially to loved ones with Alzheimer’s), aging faithfully, Marian devotion, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, mentoring, and the joys and challenges of everyday life. She is the devoted wife of magician Marshall Brodien, a mother and grandmother, and a member of an extensive family and circle of friends. One of her favorite hobbies is hand quilting. She has a Master’s degree in Pastoral Theology from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, founded by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Her many books include Navigating Alzheimer’s, The Rosary Prayer-by-Prayer, Grieving with Mary, and Young in the Spirit.
The Literary Portals to Prayer series is the first truly new resource for personal prayer in years. Designed to be a prayer-starter in the "Lectio Divina" tradition, the portal has a passage from the Bible side-by-side with a selection from an author whose work has stood the test of time. Each turn of the page ties together literature and scripture with an insightful theme.
