Ave Maria
The Hail Mary is the most beloved prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary and forms the heart of the Rosary. It is prayed 53 times in a complete Rosary.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among 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.
The Hail Mary consists of two parts. The first part comes directly from Scripture: the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth's greeting at the Visitation (Luke 1:42). The second part, "Holy Mary, Mother of God...", was added by the Church in the 16th century, making it both a Biblical prayer and a petition for Mary's intercession.
"Hail Mary, full of grace"
The angel's greeting acknowledges Mary's unique holiness. "Full of grace" (Greek: kecharitomene) indicates Mary was already filled with God's grace when Gabriel appeared to her.
"The Lord is with thee"
This phrase affirms God's special presence with Mary. She is not merely favored, but God Himself dwells with her in a unique and profound way.
"Blessed art thou among women"
Elizabeth's Spirit-filled exclamation recognizes Mary's unique role among all women in salvation history as the Mother of the Messiah.
"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus"
The prayer centers on Jesus Christ. Mary is blessed precisely because she bore the Savior. The Hail Mary is ultimately about honoring Christ through His Mother.
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners"
We invoke Mary's intercession as the Theotokos (God-bearer), asking her to pray for us both now in our daily struggles and at the crucial moment of our death.
The Hail Mary is prayed ten times in each decade of the Rosary, with each decade focusing on a different mystery from the life of Christ. While the lips repeat the familiar words, the mind meditates on the mystery, creating a rhythm of contemplative prayer that draws us deeper into the Gospel.