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mary the mother of God

The Ave Maria and Louis de Montfort

The Ave Maria/Hail Mary brought salvation to mankind.

Here’s a beautiful rendition sung by the powerful singer, Celine Dion, enjoy …

It really brings the beauty of the prayer to life…

From “The Secret of the Rosary” by Louis de Montfort-this is the best book I have ever read on the Rosary and this passage brings out the wonders of the simple yet beautiful scriptural prayer of the Hail Mary…

  • THIS HEAVENLY SALUTATION draws down upon us the blessings of Jesus and Mary in abundance, for it is an infallible truth that Jesus and Mary reward in a marvelous way those who glorify them. They repay us a hundred fold for the praises that we give them. “I love them that love Me . . . that I may enrich them that love Me and fill their treasures.” [1] Jesus and Mary have always said: “We love those who love Us; we enrich them and fill their treasuries to overflowing.” “He who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings.” [2]
  • Now, if we say the Hail Mary properly, is not this a way to love, bless and glorify Jesus and Mary?
  • In each Hail Mary we bless both Jesus and Mary: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
  • By each Hail Mary we give Our Lady the same honor that God gave her when He sent the Archangel Gabriel to greet her for Him. How could anyone possibly think that Jesus and Mary, who often do good to those that curse them, could ever curse those that bless and honor them by the Hail Mary?
  • Both Saint Bernard and Saint Bonaventure say that the Queen of Heaven is certainly no less grateful and conscientious than gracious and well-mannered people of this world. Just as she excels in all other perfections, she surpasses us all in the virtue of gratitude; so she would never let us honor her with love and respect without repaying us one hundred fold. Saint Bonaventure says that Mary will greet us with grace if we greet her with the Hail Mary.
  • Who could possibly understand the graces and blessings which the greeting and tender regard of Our Lady effect in us? From the very first instant that Saint Elizabeth heard the greeting that the Mother of God gave her, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb leaped for joy. If we make ourselves worthy of the greeting and blessings of Our Lady we shall certainly be filled with graces and a flood of spiritual consolations will come down into our souls.

  1. Prov. 8:17, 21. 2. Cor. 9:6. (Extract from http://www.catholictradition.org/Classics/secret-rosary18.htm)

Therefore it is a privilege to know and pray the words over and over again in Our Lady’s favourite prayer, the Rosary:

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among 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 death.Amen.

St Teresa of Avila I recall once told the story of a nun from her Convent who died and appeared to St Teresa in a dream.
The nun told St Teresa that she would willingly undergo the sufferings of her whole life again in exchange for the merits of one Hail Mary said with love.
The Hail Mary is SO powerful because the Angelic Salutation brought eternal salvation to the world!