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Traditional Catholic prayer · Ave Maria
The Hail Mary
The great Marian prayer, weaving together the angel Gabriel's greeting and Elizabeth's words (Luke 1) with the Church's petition.
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art 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.
Prayed ten times in each decade of the Rosary, and in the Angelus.
Where it comes from
The first half is Scripture: the angel Gabriel's greeting in Luke 1:28 and Elizabeth's in Luke 1:42. The second half, asking Mary to pray for us now and at our death, was added over the Middle Ages and fixed in its present form in the sixteenth century.
Frequently asked
Does praying it worship Mary?
No. It asks her to pray for you, as you might ask anyone. Worship belongs to God alone.
How many are in a Rosary?
Fifty-three in the five-decade Rosary: ten in each of the five decades, and three at the beginning.
More Catholic prayers
- The Sign of the Cross
- The Our Father
- The Glory Be
- The Apostles' Creed
- The Act of Contrition
- The Morning Offering
- All prayers
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