Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is a cornerstone of Catholic piety. Through these traditional prayers, the faithful seek her powerful intercession, praise her virtues, and meditate upon her unique role in the history of salvation.
The Hail Mary
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 our death. Amen.
The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
The Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Contexte Historique
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as Marian devotion, is as ancient as the Church herself. It is rooted in her depiction in the Gospels as the willing instrument of God’s plan of salvation. The prayers addressed to her are not acts of worship, which is due to God alone, but of veneration and a request for her intercession with her Son, Jesus Christ. Prayers like the ‘Hail Mary’ combine scriptural verses with a plea for aid, while ancient hymns like the ‘Hail Holy Queen’ have been part of the Church’s liturgical and private prayer life for centuries, expressing the confidence of the faithful in her maternal care.