MEDITATION ON THE HAIL MARY
THIS ARTICLE IS DEDICATED TO:
THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL
BY MARK ANTHONY BEALE
THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL
BY MARK ANTHONY BEALE
The Hail Mary, also known as the Ave Maria from the Latin and also the Angelic Salutation, is not just a prayer said by Catholics in honour of the Mother of God, but are the very words of St. Gabriel the Archangel, when he appeared to the Blessed Mother during the Annunciation. And because St. Gabriel was delivering a message on God's Behalf, it was thus God Himself Who pronounced the Ave Maria.
Traditionally believed to have happened at night while Mary, the Cause of our Salvation, was reading the Prophecy of St. Isaias regarding the Virgin and Her Child, the Annunciation was the event which transpired due to the Lord's blessing upon His Mother, during which She consented to becoming His Mother, and not just His Mother, but the Mother of all the Living, that is, those who are joined to the Holy Roman Church.
Now, many people teach that the Ave Maria is a vain prayer invented by idolatrous Catholics. However, it does not take one too long before one stumbles upon St. Luke's Gospel, Chapter One. St. Luke, whom the Holy Ghost appointed to record this beautiful event in Our Lady's life, records that when the Prince of Messengers appeared to his Queen, he knelt down before Her, and offered Her a Divine Rose, that is, the Angelic Salutation. And as stated above, because the Archangel was repeating what God had told him to say, ultimately, it was God Who was Pleased to say to Her: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
The Holy Names of Jesus and Mary were added by the Church to distinguish Who was being referred to. The second half of the Salutation which says thus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, was added likewise by Mother Church, in accordance with Biblical Teaching that Mary, being Holy, was Mother of God, as infallibly defined by the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). This was the Third Council of the Church, and a Council accepted by most mainstream Protestants!
It is something of a sad crime that our opponents do not ascribe the same love and dignity to the All-Holy Virgin, who is the Promised Virgin of St. Isaias, the cloud of rain that St. Elias prayed for upon Mount Carmel, the Woman of Genesis, who in Her humility did crush the most proud head of Lucifer, at the first instant of Her Immaculate Conception. She is the same Woman that St. John describes was the Crowned Woman of Heaven, with the stars crowning Her, the moon under Her feet and the Queen of every faithful heart. For if it pleased God to think of Her before all creation, to make Her without stain of sin, give Her all Wisdom, humility and all grace, made Her the Mother of His Only Begotten, united Her Sorrow with the Cross, Assumed Her into Paradise and made Her Queen over all Creation, then who is man to blaspheme against Her? Not even Satan speaks against Her, as is attested by many exorcists. Even the Evil One will not blaspheme Her, knowing of the Anger that will blaze against him! Even the Devil respects Her. And, if the Devil blessed Her, then how debased is the heretic that defames Her?!
I hope with this little information you can pray this holy prayer with more of a knowledge of Our Lady's importance in your salvation. Remember, every time you say this prayer, your Angel presents Our Mother with a Rose. So, make it a big, sweet smelling Rose. Make your Mother proud! One day a year is Mother's Day, but every Saturday is Our Mother's Day...so give Her a crown of roses from your Rosary!
The Angelic Salutation
Eng: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and Blessed if the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen
Latin: Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et Benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora, mortis nostrae. Amen
Traditionally believed to have happened at night while Mary, the Cause of our Salvation, was reading the Prophecy of St. Isaias regarding the Virgin and Her Child, the Annunciation was the event which transpired due to the Lord's blessing upon His Mother, during which She consented to becoming His Mother, and not just His Mother, but the Mother of all the Living, that is, those who are joined to the Holy Roman Church.
Now, many people teach that the Ave Maria is a vain prayer invented by idolatrous Catholics. However, it does not take one too long before one stumbles upon St. Luke's Gospel, Chapter One. St. Luke, whom the Holy Ghost appointed to record this beautiful event in Our Lady's life, records that when the Prince of Messengers appeared to his Queen, he knelt down before Her, and offered Her a Divine Rose, that is, the Angelic Salutation. And as stated above, because the Archangel was repeating what God had told him to say, ultimately, it was God Who was Pleased to say to Her: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
The Holy Names of Jesus and Mary were added by the Church to distinguish Who was being referred to. The second half of the Salutation which says thus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, was added likewise by Mother Church, in accordance with Biblical Teaching that Mary, being Holy, was Mother of God, as infallibly defined by the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). This was the Third Council of the Church, and a Council accepted by most mainstream Protestants!
It is something of a sad crime that our opponents do not ascribe the same love and dignity to the All-Holy Virgin, who is the Promised Virgin of St. Isaias, the cloud of rain that St. Elias prayed for upon Mount Carmel, the Woman of Genesis, who in Her humility did crush the most proud head of Lucifer, at the first instant of Her Immaculate Conception. She is the same Woman that St. John describes was the Crowned Woman of Heaven, with the stars crowning Her, the moon under Her feet and the Queen of every faithful heart. For if it pleased God to think of Her before all creation, to make Her without stain of sin, give Her all Wisdom, humility and all grace, made Her the Mother of His Only Begotten, united Her Sorrow with the Cross, Assumed Her into Paradise and made Her Queen over all Creation, then who is man to blaspheme against Her? Not even Satan speaks against Her, as is attested by many exorcists. Even the Evil One will not blaspheme Her, knowing of the Anger that will blaze against him! Even the Devil respects Her. And, if the Devil blessed Her, then how debased is the heretic that defames Her?!
I hope with this little information you can pray this holy prayer with more of a knowledge of Our Lady's importance in your salvation. Remember, every time you say this prayer, your Angel presents Our Mother with a Rose. So, make it a big, sweet smelling Rose. Make your Mother proud! One day a year is Mother's Day, but every Saturday is Our Mother's Day...so give Her a crown of roses from your Rosary!
The Angelic Salutation
Eng: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and Blessed if the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen
Latin: Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et Benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora, mortis nostrae. Amen