What is the Hail Mary, and where does it come from?

The Hail Mary is a prayer that combines words from Scripture with a request for Mary’s intercession. Its purpose is to honor God’s grace in Mary and ask her to pray for sinners.

The first biblical greeting. The prayer begins, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." These words come from Gabriel’s greeting at the Annunciation: "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28). The traditional phrase "full of grace" expresses the extraordinary grace God gave Mary for her vocation as the Mother of the Savior (CCC 490-491, 2676).

Elizabeth’s blessing. The next words are also from Scripture: "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." When Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this blessing (Lk 1:41-42). The name "Jesus" identifies the prayer’s center. Mary’s blessedness comes entirely from the blessed fruit of her womb, the incarnate Son of God.

The Church’s petition. The second half says, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." "Mother of God" confesses that Jesus is one divine person, truly God and truly man (CCC 495). Asking Mary to pray follows the Christian practice of intercession. Her prayer does not replace Christ, because all grace and salvation come through Him. The Church asks for Mary’s help at two decisive moments: the present moment and the hour when earthly life ends (CCC 2677).

How the prayer developed. The two scriptural greetings were used in Christian devotion for centuries. The petition asking Mary’s prayers took shape gradually in the Church’s liturgical and devotional life. The complete form became standard in the Western Church during the later Middle Ages and early modern period. Its development does not add new revelation. It places a thoroughly Christian request beside words already given in the Gospel.

How to pray it. Pray the words slowly rather than rushing through them. At "the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," place your attention on Christ. At "pray for us sinners," bring your need for mercy before God. The Hail Mary can be prayed alone, in the Angelus, or as part of the Rosary. If the prayer is new to you, begin with one Hail Mary each day and ask Mary to help you follow Jesus as faithfully as she did.