The «Hail Mary» is the prayer addressed to the Mother of God, formed almost entirely from the words of Scripture: the Archangel Gabriel's greeting at the Annunciation and Saint Elizabeth's cry. After the Our Father, it is the most widespread Christian prayer.
The complete text — the Orthodox version
Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.
The text ends here in the Orthodox tradition. The Catholic version («Je vous salue Marie») adds the petition «pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death» — which Orthodox Christians express in other prayers to the Theotokos.
The meaning of each part
«Full of grace» (in Greek kecharitomene): God prepared Mary from eternity for the mission of bearing Christ. «The Lord is with thee» — the same words Joshua hears in the Old Testament before a great mission: God's presence means power, not only comfort. «Blessed is the fruit of thy womb» confesses that the One born is the Saviour — so the prayer, though addressed to Mary, glorifies Christ.
When it is prayed
- At Matins and Vespers, at every singing of the Stichera;
- In the Paraklesis to the Mother of God;
- On the prayer rope (the knotted cord), the prayer is repeated 100, 300 or 500 times — the hesychast practice;
- In urgent needs: illness, fear, childbirth, departure on a journey.
The Hail Mary on the prayer rope
The classic practice: 100 «Hail Marys» a day, one on each knot. Many faithful say it for: children's health, a safe end to pregnancy, safe journeys, finding a purpose. It is said that the Mother of God remains in debt to no prayer said with the heart.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Orthodox pray to the Mother of God, if Christ is the only Mediator? The Church understands prayer to the saints as a request for intercession — we ask the Mother of God to pray for us, just as we ask a living friend. The greatest feast: 15 August, the Dormition of the Mother of God, when millions of Romanians go to monasteries.
«Theotokos» — what does it mean? (Gr. Theotokos): the One born of Mary is true God, a title confirmed at the Council of Ephesus (431).
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