The Hail Mary

    

Pictures above: Our Lady of Grace (Catholic), Our Lady of Walsingham (Anglican), and Our Lady of Vladimir (Orthodox)

The prayer known as the Hail Mary or Ave Maria, is one of the best loved prayers in Christianity, especially for Catholics, Orthodox, and Catholic Anglicans. It is a prayer invoking the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. The prayer is known as the Angelic Salutation in the Christian East.

The prayer is based on two passages of scripture found in Saint Luke's Gospel:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" - Luke 1.26-28, RSV Catholic edition.

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? - Luke 1.41-43, RSV Catholic edition.

One tradition ascribes the prayer to St. Cyril, the pope of Alexandria, in the 5th century. Another tradition ascribes the familiar ending, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death..." to the Franciscans. The Holy Rosary is said to have been given by the Blessed Mother herself to St. Dominic.

In Western Christian piety, it forms a trio of prayers daily prayers, along with the Our Father and Apostle's Creed.

The Hail Mary helps one to feel close to the Mother of God and her maternal love and protection. She will pray for our souls, now and at the hour of our death.

It is Christ himself, who from the cross, gave us his mother to also be our mother (c.f. John 19.25-27).  Our Blessed Mother persuaded Christ to perform his first miracle before he was ready to do so (John 2.1-11). We too, can turn to Mary and prayer, and seek her mighty intercession with God.

Below is the prayer itself, the Western version, the Eastern version, and a version which combines the Eastern and Western Prayers.

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Western version:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Eastern version:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, Virgin Mother of God; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to Christ, the Savior and Deliverer of our souls. Amen.

Version combing East and West:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, Virgin Mother of God; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. For thou hast given birth to Christ, the Savior and Deliverer of our souls. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.