A prayer to the Virgin Mary built from the angel's greeting in Luke 1, asking for her intercession.
Tagged: Marian Devotion Prayer Catholic
The Text
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.
Historical Context
The prayer's first half combines Gabriel's greeting to Mary (Luke 1:28) with Elizabeth's greeting (Luke 1:42), and it circulated in that biblical form from the early Middle Ages. The name 'Jesus' was added in the 13th century, and the closing petition, 'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,' took its present form by the 16th century, when the prayer was printed in the Roman Breviary of 1568. It is central to Catholic devotion and is also used by some Anglicans and Lutherans, while most Protestants do not pray it because it asks for Mary's intercession.
Use and Practice
Catholics pray the Hail Mary daily, in the Rosary (where it is repeated on each bead of the decades), in the Angelus, and in prayers for the dying.
References
- USCCB Prayers and Devotions Free / open access
- EWTN Devotions Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Prayers of the Rosary — The set of prayers prayed on the beads of the Rosary, including the Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen.
- The Angelus — A thrice-daily prayer of versicles and Hail Marys commemorating the Annunciation and the Incarnation.
- Glory Be (Gloria Patri) — A short doxology praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, used across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant worship.
- The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) — The prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, shared by Christians of every tradition.
Related Across the Site
- Catholic Culture Library — An online library, dictionary, and document search representing more than 2,000 years of Catholic scholarship and teaching.
- Act of Contrition Prayer or Creed — A prayer of sorrow for sin, prayed in the Sacrament of Penance and in personal examination of conscience.
- Anima Christi Prayer or Creed — A medieval prayer asking Christ's body, blood, and passion to sanctify, save, and protect the one who prays.
- Glory Be (Gloria Patri) Prayer or Creed — A short doxology praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, used across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant worship.
- Prayers of the Rosary Prayer or Creed — The set of prayers prayed on the beads of the Rosary, including the Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen.
- Te Deum Prayer or Creed — An ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, sung on occasions of solemn thanksgiving in Catholic and Anglican worship.
- The Angelus Prayer or Creed — A thrice-daily prayer of versicles and Hail Marys commemorating the Annunciation and the Incarnation.
- The Catholic World View World View — Catholic Christianity confesses one triune God and receives his revelation through Scripture and Tradition, guarded by the Church Christ founded and its apostolic teaching office.