Hail Mary — Christian prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus
A widely used Christian prayer addressing Mary. Drawn largely from Luke's Gospel and developed in the medieval West, it is central to Catholic devotion and appears in other Christian traditions.
The Hail Mary is a traditional Christian prayer honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus and asking for her intercession. As a devotional formula it combines lines found in Scripture with later devotional additions. The prayer is central to many Christian traditions and is commonly recited in private devotion and public devotions alike; it is first and foremost a short prayer addressed to Mary (Mary, the mother of Jesus).
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Text and structure
The prayer’s most familiar English form blends two scriptural greetings with a petition. In one common translation it reads: "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 first half derives from the angelic salutation and Elizabeth’s exclamation recorded in the Gospel of Luke. The second half — the request for Mary’s prayers on behalf of the speaker — represents a later devotional development.
History and development
Elements of the Hail Mary were in liturgical and popular use from the early medieval period. Additions that turned the greeting into the longer petitional form took shape in Western Christianity during the high to late Middle Ages, with devotional refinements occurring in the 13th century and afterwards. Over time the prayer became standardized in the Latin Church and entered many common devotions.
Uses and variations
- The Hail Mary is the principal component of the Rosary, recited repeatedly in that devotion.
- It features in the Angelus and other liturgical or para-liturgical practices and in private prayer.
- Different Christian communions render the prayer with variant wording: Eastern churches often use forms invoking the Theotokos, while some Anglican and other communities use adapted versions.
Although widely used in Roman Catholicism, the prayer is also present in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic, and some Protestant denominations, each with their own theological framing. Attitudes toward asking saints for intercession vary: for many it is an expression of communal prayer, while others avoid it on doctrinal grounds.
Beyond theology, the Hail Mary appears in art, music, and literature as a recognizable element of Christian culture and devotion. Its short, repetitive form has made it a durable and widely known prayer across multiple branches of Christianity.
Eastern ecclesiastical form
The Hail Mary of the Eastern Church reads:
Greek:
Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε,κεχαριτωμένη
Μαρία, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ.
εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί,καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου,
ὅτι Σωτῆρα ἔτεκες τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν.
German:
Hail
Mary, Mother of God and Virgin,
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
because you have given birth to the Saviour of our souls.
Western church form
The Hail Mary of the Western Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church reads:
Latin:
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta
tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribusnunc
et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
German:
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you.
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.
In it the word gebenedeit (from the infinitive benedeien) is the Germanized form of the Latin participle benedictus (German: gesegnet; to the infinitive benedicere). In contrast to the German word "segnen", however, benedicere can mean not only God's bestowal of a blessing on a person, but also the act of worship by the individual praying or the congregation. Thus, God can also be "gebenedeit" (worshipped, glorified). Since there is no German equivalent to benedicere (literally: to speak well) that takes both meanings into account, this Germanized form is often used instead of a translation.
The German version used to read "Thou art blessed among women", and there were also versions which read "pray for us poor sinners now and in the hour of our dying".
Questions and answers
Q: What is the Hail Mary prayer?
A: The Hail Mary is a Christian prayer to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Q: Where does most of the Hail Mary prayer come from?
A: Most of the prayer comes from the Gospel of Luke.
Q: When were some things added to the Hail Mary prayer?
A: Some things were added to the prayer during the 13th century (the 1200s).
Q: When a person says a Hail Mary, what are they asking Mary to do?
A: When a person says a Hail Mary, they are asking Mary to pray for them.
Q: In which branch of Christianity is the Hail Mary the most prevalent prayer in the Rosary?
A: In Roman Catholicism, the Hail Mary is the most prevalent prayer in the Rosary.
Q: Which other Christian branches use the Hail Mary prayer?
A: The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox also use the prayer, as do many other groups within Christianity, including Anglicans, Independent Catholics, and Old Catholics.
Q: Do some Protestant denominations use the Hail Mary prayer?
A: Yes, some Protestant denominations also use the Hail Mary.
Related articles
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Hail Mary — Christian prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/41776
Sources
- ewtn.com : Saint Thomas Aquinas on the Hail Mary
- ec-patr.net : text, with chanting
- newadvent.org : [[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]
- cin.org : The Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part IV
- musicasacra.com : edition
- sor.cua.edu : Qawmo (For prayers of all canonical hours)