When Mary Calls: Surprising Encounters with the Mother of God

A young Protestant man from the Bible Belt experiences miraculous healing at a Marian shrine in Ireland. A Methodist woman sees Mary through "a tear in the world" and receives a life-saving warning. A world-renowned composer discovers that every musical composition "is a little incarnation." In an age of spiritual hunger and cultural confusion, people from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox backgrounds are turning to Mary as their spiritual mother. Part spiritual memoir, part theological exploration, When Mary Calls is an emotionally resonant narrative tapestry of deeply personal, testimonial-style stories of Marian encounters today, reflecting Margarita Mooney Clayton's unique voice as both scholar and spiritual witness. Through seven compelling personal stories—including Clayton's own dangerous missions to help dissidents in her mother's homeland of Cuba—this book reveals Mary's maternal protection at work and explores how she binds believers to authentic faith communities. Through these contemporary encounters with Mary, Clayton shows how the Mother of God offers what our disenchanted age desperately seeks: an alternative to sterile rationalism and a path to authentic spiritual renewal. Each chapter shares a "Pentecost moment" that leads not just to personal transformation but to binding with the living community of faith. Mary emerges as a model of true creativity rooted in humility rather than self-assertion. The diverse expressions of love for Mary offer embodied devotional practices that bridge time-tested traditions and our mysterious longings for personal encounter with the divine. When Mary Calls demonstrates how the Mother of God continues to draw seekers into deeper relationships with Christ, transforming extraordinary encounters into sustained spiritual practices which offer meaning and to a world searching for hope.