Shortly after the death of their brother, Lazarus, Martha offers this confident response to Jesus’s gentle challenge, echoing the confession of Peter: “Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God come into the world” (John 11:26-27). Her response to this question would change the course of her life—of all their lives. And to the extent that we echo her confession, it transforms us as well.

In Who Does He Say You Are?, Catholic missionary and speaker Colleen Mitchell captures the confessions of twelve more women from the Gospels, and shows how their stories answer this crucial question of identity: “Who does he say you are?” Holding up Mary as the ultimate example of intimate, transforming union, Mitchell weaves together moving anecdotes of her own search for identity as a Catholic woman along with twelve accounts of women in Scripture that are at once fresh yet familiar. In so doing, Mitchell connects in a compelling and very personal way with the Scriptures, inspiring readers to “take up and read” in order to discover the answer to this all-important question for themselves.

Questions at the end of each chapter can easily be adapted for group study, or used for private journaling or quiet reflection.