The Hail Mary Prayer
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The Hail Mary in 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.
The Hail Mary in Greek
Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη Μαρία, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου, ὅτι Σωτῆρα ἔτεκες τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. [Theotóke Parthéne, cháire, kecharitoméne María, ho Kýrios meta sú. eulogeméne sý en gynaixí, kai eulogemenos ho karpós tés koilías su, hoti Sotéra hétekes tón psychón hemón.]
Where the Hail Mary comes from
The first part joins Gabriel's greeting and Elizabeth's words in Luke's Gospel. The second is the Church's petition for Mary's intercession now and at the hour of death. The prayer therefore brings together Scripture, the Incarnation, and intercession.
Pray slowly and attend especially to the name of Jesus, the center of the prayer. It may form part of the Rosary or be prayed alone at the beginning of the day, during worry, or while accompanying someone near death.