Hail Mary

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1560554' date='Jun 6 2008, 03:36 AM']When I'm really scared, that's the prayer I turn to first.[/quote]
Same here. While I liked to pray the Rosary before becoming pregnant, my pregnancy really strengthened that devotion, and my desire to call upon Mary's intercession a lot more. The Joyful Mysteries have a whole new meaning for me now. I've noticed lately that when I've been wearing one of my Madonna bracelets, when I start to get nervous/anxious/etc, if I look down at it, I'm reminded that Mary is praying for me, and I'm calmer, and able to give the situation over to God at that point.

[CatherineM]

When I got hurt, all I could remember was the first half. I just kept repeating it over and over again. That just made my attacker more angry. He didn't like Catholics.

[DiscerningSoul]

I found something on the Hail Mary and had posted it on my myspace page.
Here I cut and pasted it. I foget where I got from.
****************************************
**************************

The Power of One 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.

Millions of Catholics often say the Hail Mary. Some repeat it hastily
not even thinking on the words they are saying. These following words
may help some say it more thoughtfully.
They can give God's Mother great joy and obtain for themselves graces
that she wishes to give them.

One Hail Mary well said fills the heart of Our Lady with delight and
obtains for us indescribably great graces. One Hail Mary well said
gives us more graces than a thousand thoughtlessly said.

The Hail Mary is like a mine of gold that we can always take from but
never exhaust.
Is it hard to say the Hail Mary well? All we have to do is to know
its value and understand its meaning.

St. Jerome tells us that "the truths contained in the Hail Mary are
so sublime, so wonderful that no man or Angel could fully understand
them."

St. Thomas Aquinas, the Prince of Theologians, "the wisest of Saints
and holiest of wise men," as Leo XIII called him, preached for 40
days in Rome on the Hail Mary, filling his hearers with rapture.

Father F. Suarez, the holy and learned Jesuit, declared when dying
that he would willingly give all the many learned books he wrote, all
his life's labors, for the merit of one Hail Mary prayerfully and
devoutly said.

St. Mechtilde, who loved our Lady very much, was one day striving to
compose a beautiful prayer in her honor. Our Lady appeared to her,
with the golden letters on her breast of: "Hail Mary full of grace."
She said to her: "Desist, dear child, from your labor for no prayer
you could possibly compose would give me the joy and delight of the
Hall Mary."

A certain man found joy in saying slowly the Hail Mary. The Blessed
Virgin in return appeared to him smiling and announced to him the day
and hour that he should die, granting him a most holy and happy
death.

After death a beautiful white lily grew from his mouth having written
on its petals: "Hail Mary."

Cesarius recounts a similar incident. A humble and holy monk lived in
the monastery. His poor mind and memory were so weak that he could
only repeat one prayer which was the "Hail Mary." After death a tree
grew over his grave and on all its leaves was written: "Hail Mary."

These beautiful legends show us how much devotion to Our Lady was
valued, and the power attributed to the Hail Mary devoutly prayed.

Each time that we say the Hail Mary we are repeating the very same
words with which St. Gabriel the Archangel saluted Mary on the day of
the Annunciation, when she was made Mother of the Son of God.

Many graces and joys filled the soul of Mary at that moment.

Now when we say the Hail Mary we offer anew all these graces and joys
to Our Lady and she accepts them with Immense delight.

In return she gives us a share in these joys.

Once Our Lord asked St. Francis Assisi to give Him something. The
Saint replied: "Dear Lord, I can give You nothing for I have already
given you all, all my love."

Jesus smiled and said: "Francis, give Me it all again and again, it
will give Me the same pleasure."

So with our dearest Mother, she accepts from us each time we say the
Hail Mary the joys and delight she received from the words of St.
Gabriel.

Almighty God gave His Blessed Mother all the dignity, greatness and
holiness necessary to make her His own most perfect Mother.

But He also gave her all the sweetness, love, tenderness and
affection necessary to make her our most loving Mother. Mary is truly
and really our Mother.

As children when in trouble run to their mothers for help, so ought
we to run at once with unbounded confidence to Mary.

St. Bernard and many Saints said that it was never, never heard at
any time or in any place that Mary refused to hear the prayers of her
children on earth.

Why do we not realize this most consoling truth? Why refuse the love
and consolation that God's Sweet Mother is offering us?

Is it our lamentable ignorance which deprives us of such help and
consolation.

To love and trust Mary is to be happy on earth now and afterwards to
be happy in Heaven.

Dr. Hugh Lammer was a staunch Protestant, with strong prejudices
against the Catholic Church.

One day he found an explanation of the Hail Mary and read it. He was
so charmed with it that he began to say it daily. Insensibly all his
anti-Catholic animosity began to disappear. He became a Catholic, a
holy priest and a professor of Catholic Theology in Breslau.

A priest was called to the bedside of a man who was dying in despair
because of his sins.
Yet he refused obstinately to go to confession. As a last recourse
the priest asked him to say at least the Hail Mary after which the
poor man made a sincere confession and died a holy death.

In England, a parish priest was asked to go and see a Protestant lady
who was gravely ill, and who wished to become a Catholic.

Asked if she had ever gone to a Catholic Church, or, if she had
spoken to Catholics, or if she had read Catholic books? She
replied, "No, no."

All she could remember was that------when a child------she had
learned from a little Catholic neighbor girl the Hail Mary, which she
said every night. She was Baptized and before dying had the happiness
of seeing her husband and children Baptized.

St. Gertrude tells us in her book, "Revelations" that when we thank
God for the graces He has given to any Saint, we get a great share of
those particular graces.

What graces, then, do we not receive when we say the Hail Mary while
thanking God for all the unspeakable graces He has given His Blessed
Mother?

With Ecclesiastical Approval.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1560905' date='Jun 6 2008, 08:48 AM']When I got hurt, all I could remember was the first half. I just kept repeating it over and over again. That just made my attacker more angry. He didn't like Catholics.[/quote]
+J.M.J.+
same with me when i had my emergency c-section. i just kept repeating "hail mary" over and over

[DiscerningSoul]

I love this little powerful prayer.
I go by a church do the sign of the cross and say a Hail Mary!
Feeling down, stressed? Say a Hail Mary
Something good happens? Say a Hail Mary!

[lilac_angel]

[quote name='rhetoricfemme' post='1560657' date='Jun 5 2008, 10:50 PM']True story!

I have to say, the first time I prayed to her was a big change in my faith as well. My random visits to our local parish became a much bigger place of comfort and necessity after the first time I lit a candle at Mary's alter and said a prayer for someone.[/quote]

That is awesome. I have a friend who has had a dramatic experience in feeling an intense presence of God after getting closer to Mary (she was also a convert)... it sounded pretty incredible.

And Mr. Sheen is the man. I don't think I'll ever get to the top of my book mountain... heh