Our Lady and the Church Book

Hugo Rahner's research into the Fathers of the Church is clearly extensive. This book does a wonderous job of transmitting the rich connections which the fathers and medievals made between Mary and the Church. All of the references are clearly organized and presented in a clean and tidy way which makes for easy learning as well as contemplation.

I found it as a resource for reflection and meditation rather difficult because it seems a lot like an "idea dump" with a little sugarcoating. This is because Rahner wants to get out of the way and let the fathers speak, as the foreword accurately describes. As such, it is a scholarly work which can be useful for contemplation on the mysteries of Mary and the Church. But I found that while the writing style is academic, the content itself is more reflective in nature. Perhaps this is why I struggled with finishing it.

This book will make for excellent citations for talks on Mary or on the Church. It could be the skeleton and references for an excellent conference on seeing the reflection of one in the other. And for homilies on particular Marian feasts, there is a treasure trove of material to present or comment upon. Just be weary that this is not a simple read-through. It is more a reference book or a book worth reading slowly and reflectively, especially if one wishes to deepen one's understanding of Mary and the rich heritage of her in the Church.