The Reed of God

“The best book I’ve ever read about Mary. It is life-changing. Caryll Houselander’s breathtaking insights into the faithfulness, patience, and love of the Mother of God reveal a beautiful portrait of Our Lady as a model for Christian living. A perfect read for Advent, Lent, or any season, The Reed of God will open your eyes to the call to be full of grace—a reed through which God will play his song. It is a spiritual
classic not to be missed.”

“Such a work can only come from a deep and abiding love for Mary. Take these words to heart, and there Jesus will be conceived in you.”

“Caryll Houselander has profoundly influenced my spirituality. Although written decades ago, her message continues to offer resonance and inspiration for those seeking a closer relationship to Christ in daily life.”

“There may be no better entrée into Marian faith and devotion than Caryll Houselander’s The Reed of God. Accessible yet profound, this little gem of a
book gives witness to the inherent unity of faith and devotion, theology and
spirituality. It is as rewarding to the cradle Catholic as to the recent convert or even to the curious outsider, proffering an approach to thinking about and praying with Mary, the Mother of Jesus."

“People foraging in the libraries of religious houses for a book that can be read without mortification in time of retreat will come across The Reed of God, browse in it, get lost in it, and search catalogues for years afterward in search of a secondhand copy.”

“The first time I read The Reed of God, Mary’s emptiness—compared to the emptiness of the world—resonated with my own desire to be emptied of everything that gets in the way of a close relationship with Jesus. The image of a hollow chalice ready to be filled with the fullness of God has remained with me for years. Through her timeless and prolific writing, Caryll Houselander gifts us with insights into Mary’s beautiful human heart that remained united to God through her real and relatable joys and sorrows, hopes and disappointments. The Reed of God offers us a constant companion on our journey of faith, with Mary guiding us always closer to her Son, Jesus.”

“I keep a stack of The Reed of God books in my office, so often do I give it to spiritual directees in need of a renewed relationship with the Blessed Mother. Caryll Houselander is a genius at holding in perfect, holy, dynamic tension the extraordinary paradoxes that mark the life of Mary and her Son. In these uniquely imaginative pages, readers will find their relationship to Mary and Jesus refreshed, clarified, and beautifully deepened.”

“As a young mother, I often find myself feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, wondering if my hidden actions matter. This beautiful book has encouraged me in my own vocation as I try to remain faithful in the little, hidden things. No matter your vocation, The Reed of God will encourage you to be open to the ways that God will work in your ordinary life—for it is little, ordinary saints that the Church needs today.”

“This gem of a book shows why Mary’s vocation is ours as well: Each of us must bear Christ into the world. In words as fresh and relevant today as the day she wrote them, Houselander explains why the emptiness we all feel is a space made especially for Jesus. Whether that space presents as a chalice made to carry wine, a hollow reed formed to play a song, or a nest lined and ready to receive life, we can find its purpose in contemplating the Blessed Mother.”