Prayer - Part 2

Prayer - Part 2

After the Our Father, the other two most common prayers are the Hail Mary and the Glory Be. They accompany several private devotions including the Rosary (see Module 2, Prayer).

Prayer - Part 2

The Two Complementary Prayers:

• Hail Mary
• Glory Be

Hail Mary

The prayer is as follows: "Hail Mary, full of grace, 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." The prayer is composed of two parts: the Angelic Salutation forms the first half, and the petition forms the second half.

The Angelic Salutation

It is called the Angelic Salutation because that is what St. Gabriel the Archangel said to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ's Incarnation. The second part of the first half is what St. Elizabeth said to the Blessed Virgin when she went to visit Elizabeth and help her with her delivery. Upon hearing the greeting of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Ghost filled Elizabeth and she greeted the Blessed Virgin Mary saying "Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."

St. Thomas Aquinas on the Ave Maria

St. Thomas Aquinas, in his profound theological analysis of the Ave Maria, identifies several spiritual benefits that come from praying this prayer devoutly:

Protection from Evil: St. Thomas teaches that the Ave Maria drives away devils and protects us from sin. Just as the presence of Mary brought sanctification to Elizabeth and John the Baptist in her womb, so too does calling upon her name bring spiritual protection to those who pray with devotion.

Divine Favor: According to the Angelic Doctor, this prayer obtains divine grace and favor. As the angel proclaimed Mary "full of grace," those who honor her through this prayer participate in that grace through her intercession.

Spiritual Joy: St. Thomas notes that just as Mary's greeting brought joy to Elizabeth (causing John the Baptist to leap for joy in the womb), so too does the Ave Maria bring spiritual consolation and joy to those who pray it faithfully.

Preparation for Death: The Thomistic understanding emphasizes that asking for Mary's prayers "at the hour of our death" prepares the soul for its final journey, as Mary, who stood at the foot of the Cross, understands both suffering and the passage from this life to eternal life.

The Petition

The second half is the petitionary prayer that was added by the Church for people to ask for her prayers, not only now, but when we are near death—the point of greater need. Does this mean that the Blessed Virgin Mary knows when we will die? No, it just means that we are asking her to always pray for us, and at some point we will die, and we ask for her prayers up to that point.

Intercessory Prayer

But why ask for her prayers at all? It is always good to have intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is when you ask people to pray for you—people here on Earth, and people in Heaven, i.e., the Saints. Those that are in Heaven are not dead, can hear our prayers, and being that they are of the body of Christ, advocate to Christ on our behalf. The Blessed Virgin Mary, by honor of being the Mother of Jesus Christ, who is God the Son—i.e., "Holy Mary, Mother of God"—is the highest advocate among the Saints to ask Christ, her son, for our prayers.

Glory Be

The "Glory Be" is a brief prayer that always calls to mind how we are to relate to God in all things. It typically accompanies the "Sign of the Cross" but not always. The prayer goes like this: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

Not only does the prayer call to mind how we are to relate to God—i.e., always glorifying Him—but it also further states and makes clear that we worship God in Trinity. This doxology affirms the eternal nature of the Trinity and our constant duty to give glory to the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity throughout all time.