As we celebrate the month of the Rosary, I thought it would be good time to take a look at the Hail Mary. The Hail Mary is the main prayer of the Rosary and it, along with the Our Father, is probably one of the first prayers each of us learned.
Each line of this popular Catholic prayer is rich in meaning as it leads us to reflect deeply on our faith. Although the prayer is addressed to Our Lady, the connecting thread throughout the prayer is Jesus. When we look at it closely, we see that it’s a Christ-centered prayer with is origins in scripture.
The Hail Mary originates from two quotes within the Gospel According to Luke, detailing the Annunciation and the Visitation. In the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). During the Visitation, Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42).
The first half of the prayer is a greeting. In it we are praising and thanking God for blessing the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus.
“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
The second half of the prayer continues to honor Mary and asks for her intercession.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”
“…the truths contained in the Hail Mary are so sublime, so wonderful that no person or Angel could fully understand them.”
St. Jerome
