The Hail Mary is divided into two parts: 1. Who Mary is. 2. Our prayer to Mary. Below the Hail Mary is examined line by line.
“Hail Mary, full of Grace”
Scripture: Luke 1:28 (Hail, full of Grace)
Explanation: The Angel Gabriel greets Mary with a very respectful greeting used for royalty. The text doesn’t say “Mary” after Hail, but it is implied. Gabriel then proclaims Mary full of Grace (full of God’s own life and love)
“The Lord is with You”
Scripture: Luke 1:28 (The Lord is with you)
Explanation: This is word for word. The Angel Gabriel said that the Lord is with Mary; she is full of his Grace, His own life.
“Blessed are you among Women”
Scripture: Luke 1:41 (Blessed are you among women)
Explanation: Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She is inspired by the 3rd person of the Blessed Trinity to proclaim that Mary is the most blessed among all women.
“And Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus”
Scripture: Luke 1:42 (and blessed is the fruit of your womb)
Explanation: Elizabeth, still inspired by the Holy Spirit, proclaims that the fruit of Mary’s womb, the developing Jesus, is blessed. The text doesn’t say “Jesus” after the word womb, but it is implied that the fruit of her womb is Jesus.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God”
Scripture: Luke 1:43 (And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?)
Explanation: Mary is full of God’s grace. This would make her holy. Mary is the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the 2nd person in the Holy Trinity. Since Jesus is God, this makes her the Mother of God. She is the Mother of the God-Man Jesus, not the Mother of the Trinity.
“Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death”
Scripture: James 5:16 (Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects)
Explanation: St. James tells Christians to pray for one another. All the baptized are members of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-14). Therefore, it is right to pray for other members of the body. James goes on to say that the prayers of the righteous have great power. What human (other than Jesus) is more righteous than the Blessed Mother? Though she is in heaven, she still hears the prayers of her children on Earth and intercedes for them.
