• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hail Mary

A Verbal Icon of Mary

Nicholas Ayo, C.S.C.

Ayo examines the Marian prayer, analyzing each phrase in itself and in relaion to the other phrases, enabling readers to study the prayer for maximum understanding, appreciation, and spiritual gain.

“Ayo’s in-depth examination of the famous Marian prayer yields fascinating insights and revelations into the Christian church’s understanding of Mary, mother of Jesus.”—Booklist

”. . . Rehabilitate[s] traditional Marian devotion in a manner that sympathetically engages contemporary ecumenical and feminist concerns. . . . Protestants and Catholics, [as well as] feminists . . . will find in this book common ground for the acknowledgment of Mary as the first of the faithful.”—First Things

“Ayo gives a clear introduction to this central prayer of Roman Catholic piety. He touches on issues of Marian theology and devotion, discusses scriptural and apocryphal references to Mary, and considers her place in Christian spirituality.” — Library Journal

“While the book is aimed at Catholic Christians, for whom the Hail Mary is a fixture from childhood, non-Catholics, particularly those who are confused about the role of Mary in Catholic prayer life, should find some answers to their questions and a new appreciation of the prayer.” — Booklist