I was thinking of the " Hail Mary" this morning and meditating on the beauty of this prayer. What a biblical prayer this is:
When we say, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee" we are uniting our voices with the Archangel Gabriel, whose words came from the Lord, Himself.
" Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" - Elizabeth, filled with the holy spirit, cried this out in a loud voice. We too, filled with the Holy Spirit, repeat her words.
" Jesus " Self explanatory. Second person of the Holy Trinity
"Holy, Mary, mother of God"
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit calls Mary, "the mother of my Lord". To call Mary the mother of God is biblical. Jesus is God, who could say otherwise?
"Pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death" We simply are asking her to intercede for us. It is no different than asking our friends and family to pray for us [though her prayers are more powerful because she always lived in God's Will]. She is alive and well in heaven and was given to us on the cross by her dying son, "Behold your mother". All of Jesus' words from the cross have eternal significance.
"Amen" .... AMEN!
amen
ReplyDeleteMary333, Thank you for the beautiful reflection on the Hail Mary. It is one I still struggle with as a convert. I am just now receiving my confirmation 33 years after my baptism. I love the first part of the Hail Mary as it is completely out of the Bible but struggle with the second part still. I am sure it is something God will work out in time. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! My husband is also a convert to Catholicism with a Baptist/Pentecostal background. I can understand why the Hail Mary can be difficult. I may do a few more posts on this issue from my husband's perspective. Thanks for your comments. I will pray for you.
RAnn,
ReplyDeleteAmen!