Scott Hahn - Catholic for a Reason II: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God

Emmaus Road Publishing
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, Ohio 43952

2000, 2004 by Emmaus Road Publishing
All rights reserved.?First edition published 2000. Second edition 2004

Printed in the United States of America
09 08 07 06 05 04 1 2 3

Library of Congress Control?Number: 2004115753
ISBN: 1-931018-23-5

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken
from the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
United States of America. Used by permission

Excerpts from the English translation of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America
1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.Libreria Editrice Vaticana?
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:?
Modifications from the Editio Typica 1997,
United States Catholic Conference, Inc.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Used with permission. Cited in text as Catechism

Cover design by
Kinsey Advertising, Inc.
and Beth Hart

Nihil Obstat : Rev. James Dunfee, Censor Librorum
Imprimatur : R. Daniel Conlon, D.D., J.C.D., Ph.D., Bishop of Steubenville
Date: October 21, 2004

The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations
that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error.?
No implication is contained therein that those who have
granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with
the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

C ONTENTS

Foreword

Of Mary one can never speak enough. This saying was often quoted in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s in this country, a time when there was much Marian literature, both theological and devotional. The reason for making this point during these decades was not at all an apologetic one, as if one were answering those who might have been questioning the plethora of Marian literature, but rather to encourage many others to write about Our Lady and her role in our salvation.

In the 70s, 80s, and the early 90s, however, with a few exceptions, this phraseof Mary one can never speak enoughtended to be quoted in an apologetic sense, the Marian author feeling the need to explain that we give our filial attention to Mary, of course, only insofar as she leads us to Christ, her Son.

Most of us have noticed that the past few years have brought a resurgence in Marian interest and devotionhearkening back to the unquestioning love for Mary characteristic of the pre-conciliar years, but at the same time drawing upon the glorious teaching of Vatican II on Mary found in Lumen Gentium . For examples one need only look at the Marian Congresses being held around the country, the Rosary rallies, or the revitalized and newly active World Apostolate of Fatima. The list could go on and on.

This recent resurgence in Marian spirituality is cogently illustrated by the appearance of the book you have in your hands. For this outstanding treatise, we rejoice with a joy reflective of the Magnificat of Our Blessed Lady!

These few words of mine, then, serve as prologue to the wealth awaiting you in this book. I can think of no more fitting way to conclude these introductory comments than with some lines in praise of Mary found in The Canterbury Tales . These lines from the prologue to The Prioress Tale ask Marys blessing and enlightenment, in retrospect, for the authors whose treatises grace the following pages:

O mother-maid! O maiden-mother free! O bush unburned, burning in Moses sight, That down didst draw, with thine humility, The spirit of God within thee to alight, Out of whose virtue, when His will made bright Thine heart, the Fathers wisdom came to birth Now help my tale to honor thee on earth! Lady, thy goodness and thy shining glory, Thy virtue and thy great humility, No learned tongue can ever put in story, For sometimes, lady, ere we pray to thee, Thou hast foreseen, in thy benignity, And by thine intercession gettst us light That to thy dear Son guides our feet aright. O blessed queen, so feeble is my wit To utter thy surpassing worthiness, I cannot well sustain the weight of it, But like a child twelve months of age or less, That scarce a word or two can well express, So am I now; therefore I pray of you, Guide well my song that I shall say of you.

Mary has heard our prayer; it is she who gives this book to you.

M OST R EV . J AMES S. S ULLIVAN
Bishop of Fargo

Abbreviations

O LD T ESTAMENT

Gen./Genesis

Ex./Exodus

Lev./Leviticus

Num./Numbers

Deut./Deuteronomy

Josh./Joshua

Judg./Judges

Ruth/Ruth

1 Sam./1 Samuel

2 Sam./2 Samuel

1 Kings/1 Kings

2 Kings/2 Kings

1 Chron./1 Chronicles

2 Chron./2 Chronicles

Ezra/Ezra

Neh./Nehemiah

Tob./Tobit

Jud./Judith

Esther/Esther

Job/Job

Ps./Psalms

Prov./Proverbs

Eccles./Ecclesiastes

Song/Song of Solomon

Wis./Wisdom

Sir./Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)

Is./Isaiah

Jer./Jeremiah

Lam./Lamentations

Bar./Baruch

Ezek./Ezekiel

Dan./Daniel

Hos./Hosea

Joel/Joel

Amos/Amos

Obad./Obadiah

Jon./Jonah

Mic./Micah

Nahum/Nahum

Hab./Habakkuk

Zeph./Zephaniah

Hag./Haggai

Zech./Zechariah

Mal./Malachi

1 Mac./1 Maccabees

2 Mac./2 Maccabees

N EW T ESTAMENT

Mt./Matthew

Mk./Mark

Lk./Luke

Jn./John

Acts/Acts of the Apostles

Rom./Romans

1 Cor./1 Corinthians

2 Cor./2 Corinthians

Gal./Galatians

Eph./Ephesians

Phil./Philippians

Col./Colossians

1 Thess./1 Thessalonians

2 Thess./2 Thessalonians

1 Tim./1 Timothy

2 Tim./2 Timothy

Tit./Titus

Philem./Philemon

Heb./Hebrews

Jas./James

1 Pet./1 Peter

2 Pet./2 Peter

1 Jn./1 John

2 Jn./2 John

3 Jn./3 John

Jude/Jude

Rev./Revelation (Apocalypse)

D OCUMENTS OF V ATICAN II

SC	Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy ( Sacrosanctum Concilium ), December 4, 1963
IM	Decree on the Means of Social Communication ( Inter Mirifica ), December 4, 1963
LG	Dogmatic Constitution on the Church ( Lumen Gentium ), November 21, 1964
OE	Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches ( Orientalium Ecclesiarum ), November 21, 1964
UR	Decree on Ecumenism ( Unitatis Redintegratio ), November 21, 1964
CD	Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church ( Christus Dominus ), October 28, 1965
PC	Decree on the Up-to-Date Renewal of Religious Life ( Perfectae Caritatis ), October 28, 1965
OT	Decree on the Training of Priests ( Optatam Totius ), October 28, 1965
GE	Declaration on Christian Education ( Gravissimum Educationis ), October 28, 1965
NA	Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non- Christian Religions ( Nostra Aetate ), October 28, 1965

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