Deepertruth: The Hail Mary Prayer

The Hail Mary Prayer: 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. Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. The Hail Mary prayer is the most popular Marian prayer.   It is the par excellence of intercessory prayer calling upon the Lord for supplication, petitions, and thanksgiving.   The Hail Mary is very central to devotions such as the holy Rosary and the Angelus.   To break down the Hail Mary Prayer, it is important to understand the biblical foundations.   The prayer of the saints have always been seen as important (James 5:16, Revelation 5:8, 8:3, and Hebrews 12:1) as well as intercessory prayer. Some argue that Jesus is the only mediator, advocate, and intercessor between God and man so they reject the intercession of the Saints. But that goes directly against the very character of God.