The Hail Mary is a traditional Catholic prayer for the help of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. This prayer asks Mary to pray for all sinners, as well as communicate with God as our representative. Say the Hail Mary prayer whenever you need support; consider praying the Hail Mary three times each morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep. Many people use the rosary or prepare a special place of prayer to be more solemn, but really you only need the words.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Saying the Prayer
Step 1. Say:
Hail Mary, full of grace, God be with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your body, Jesus. Saint Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and when we die. Amen.
If you're saying the prayer in English, for a more modern version: replace "Thee" with "You"; "art Thou" with "are You"; and "thy" with "your". If you want to respect tradition, you can still say all "Thee" and "Thou," but be aware that the Old English version of the Hail Mary is an old translation from Latin. Ask yourself which is more important: the choice of words, or the meaning behind the prayer
Step 2. Say this prayer in Latin:
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Step 3. Consider saying the Three Hail Marys
This method is a Roman Catholic practice, which is done by saying the Hail Mary three times in succession as a prayer of purification and so on. Say the Hail Mary three times after you wake up in the morning and before going to bed - after evaluating yourself on the day you just had. Say the following prayers in succession-interspersed by the standard Hail Mary-as a token of appreciation for Mary's power, wisdom, and love:
- Say the following words before the first Hail Mary: Mother Mary, mighty Virgin, nothing is impossible for you, because of the power that Almighty God has bestowed upon you. I sincerely ask for your help in this difficulty of mine, do not leave me, because I believe that you can certainly help, even though in a difficult case, which is hopeless, you are still an intermediary for your Son. Both the majesty of God and my respect for you and the salvation of my soul will increase if you will grant all my requests. Therefore, if this request of mine is truly in accordance with the will of your Son, I sincerely implore you, O Mother, please forward all my requests to the presence of your Son, who will certainly not refuse you. My great hope is based on the infinite power that God the Father has bestowed upon you. And in honor of your great power, I pray with St. Mechtildis that you tell about the goodness of the "Three Hail Marys" prayer, which is very useful: (say the Hail Mary).
- Say these words to begin the second Hail Mary: The Holy Virgin who is called the Throne of Wisdom, because the Word of God dwells in you, you are endowed with infinite divine knowledge by your Son, as the most perfect being to receive it. You know how much trouble I'm in, how much I hope for your help. With full confidence in your high wisdom, I surrender myself completely to you, so that you may govern with all your might and kindness, for the sake of God's majesty and the salvation of my soul. May Mother be able to help in all the most appropriate ways to fulfill this request of mine. Mother Mary, Mother of Divine Wisdom, may you please grant my urgent request. I plead on the basis of your incomparable wisdom, which your Son has bestowed upon you through the Divine Word. Together with St. Anthony of Padua and St. Leonardus of Porto Mauritio, who diligently preaches about the "Three Hail Marys" devotion I pray in honor of your peerless wisdom: (say Hail Mary).
- Repeat this phrase to begin the third Hail Mary: O kind and meek Mother, Mother of True Mercy who has recently been referred to as "Mother of mercy", I come to you, begging you very much, may Mother show me your mercy. The greater my poverty, the greater your compassion for me. I know that I don't deserve that gift. For many times I have saddened your heart by insulting your holy Son. No matter how big my mistake, but I'm very sorry for hurting the Sacred Heart of Jesus and your Sacred Heart. You introduce yourself as "Mother of repentant sinners" to St. Brigita, so please forgive any lack of my gratitude to you. Just remember the majesty of your Son and the mercy and kindness of your heart that radiated by granting this request of mine through the intercession of your Son. O Mother, Virgin who is full of goodness and gentle and sweet, never before has anyone come to you and begged for your help you just let it go. For your mercy and kindness, I sincerely hope that I will be blessed with the Holy Spirit. And for your majesty, with St. Alphonsus Ligouri, apostle of your mercy and teacher of the "Three Hail Marys" devotion, I pray to honor your mercy and kindness.: (say Hail Mary).
Part 2 of 3: Prepare to Pray
Step 1. Find a place to pray
You can say Hail Mary anywhere, but you may be able to reflect on yourself more deeply if you set up a quiet and solemn place. Some people like to pray in a solitary and special place; while some prefer to say the Hail Mary at church or other prayer sessions. Find a place and time that makes you feel peaceful, comfortable, and calm.
Step 2. Kneel or stand
The traditional Hail Mary is said while kneeling, although you can also do it standing up. Whichever method you choose, make sure your back is straight and your head is straight. Keep your eyes on something meaningful: an altar, a picture or statue of the Virgin Mary, or anything else that you think can reinforce the words you're saying.
If you kneel, do so on a prayer bench, pillow, or directly on the floor. If you're standing, try to keep your legs straight and your torso straight. Regardless of the way you choose, don't focus on your feet – focus on the words and the meaning behind them
Step 3. Consider using the rosary
The Rosary is a reminder of the order of Catholic prayer as requested by Mary, Mother of Jesus; the rosary helps meditate on the mysteries of the life of Jesus. The rosary is performed with a counting necklace. You can buy rosaries online, at some churches, or at Catholic grocery stores. If you can't find a rosary, try making your own.
Step 4. Say "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"
This phrase begins the Hail Mary and is useful for determining the purpose of prayer. By addressing your words to the Holy Trinity, you acknowledge that you are not praying to Our Lady, but are asking her to pray to God for you.
Step 5. Fold both hands and cup them together
Stick it in front of the chest. Point your fingertips up. This is the classic "praying pose". Hands clasped together means that you focus your spiritual and physical energy on one point, so you can amplify the meaning of the Hail Mary prayer.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Hail Mary
Step 1. Study the groups that say Hail Mary
The Hail Mary Prayer-also called the Hail of the Angels-is a traditional Catholic prayer for the help of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Roman Catholicism, this prayer forms the basis of the Rosary and Angelus prayers. In Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, a similar prayer is used in formal liturgies, both in Greek and in translation. This prayer is also used by many other traditionally Catholic groups within Christianity – including Anglicans, Independent Catholics, and Old Catholics.
Some Protestant denominations, such as the Lutherans, also use this prayer
Step 2. Understand that this prayer does not mean that you worship Our Lady
Many Catholics believe that although Mary was indeed God's chosen woman and was greatly blessed to give birth to the Savior, she was not a saint. Mary is not sinless, so you must not adore, exalt, or pray to her. However, there are some people who place more emphasis on flattery of Mary, and think that devotion to her is a way to draw closer to God.
Step 3. Study the roots of the Hail Mary prayer from the Bible
The Hail Mary text combines two passages from the Bible: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord be with you” (Luke 1:28) and “Blessed be you among the women and blessed be the fruit of your body, Jesus” (Luke 1:42). The third part of the Hail Mary prayer is not taken from the Bible; many people believe that this passage is very contradictory to the truth of the Bible: “Saint Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and when we die. Amen."
- The first reading (Luke 1:28) is the angel Gabriel greets him when he meets Mary. He spoke these words when he came to deliver the news that Mary had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah.
- The second reading (Luke 1:42) quotes Elizabeth (Mary's cousin) greeting when Mary came to visit. Elizabeth was also pregnant at the time – she was pregnant with John the Baptist.
- The third reading (based on Timothy 2:1-5) is in line with Saint Paul's request for us to pray for and with one another.
Tips
- This prayer forms the basis of some of Marius' other devotions, such as the Angelus and the Rosary.
- Preparing an icon or image of the Virgin Mary when saying this prayer is a useful thing to increase solemnity.
