Hail Mary

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are 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.

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The story of Hail Mary

The Hail Mary is one of the most well-known and beloved prayers of the Catholic Church. It is a prayer to the Virgin Mary, asking for her intercession and protection.

The prayer’s origins can be traced back to the early Church, where the first part of the prayer was based on the words of the Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”

The addition of the second part of the prayer, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death,” became more widely used in the later Middle Ages.

The Hail Mary has been a popular prayer among Catholics since the Middle Ages, particularly in Italy, where it became associated with the Rosary and other devotional practices.

The prayer has been set to music and used in countless works of art and literature over the centuries, and it is often recited in personal and communal prayer.

The Hail Mary is not only a prayer of petition, but it is also a declaration of faith in Mary’s unique role in salvation history and her ongoing relationship with God’s people. For many Catholics, it is a source of comfort and a reminder of Mary’s maternal care and intercession in their lives.