What is 'Hail Mary'?

Question

Why is this prayer directed at Mary and not God?

Answer 1

Protestants falsely believe that Catholics pray to Mary. They do not -- they ask her to pray for them.

Protestants usually respond with "But why ask for her prayers -- we pray directly to God." Catholics also pray directly to God. But Protestants who say this also admit that they ask friends, mothers and grandmothers to pray for them. What is the difference between asking your mother to pray for you and asking the mother of Jesus to pray for you?

Finally, you ask what it is -- it comes from the Bible. When the anfel appeared to Mary to tell her that she was pregnant, he said "Hail Mary."

Answer 2

The first part of this prayer comes to us straight from Gabriel's greeting to Mary in the Gospel of Luke.

The second part of it comes to us straight from Elizabeth's greeting to Mary, also in the Gospel of Luke.

The third part of it comes to us from the good people of Ephesus in the 4th century.

After the conclusion of the Council of Ephesus -- during which the belief that Mary is the Mother of God was affirmed -- the people took to the streets and prayed in unison, "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners!"

The "Hail Mary" is not really a prayer to Mary. It's a prayer REQUEST. It's asking her to pray for us. The last part of it especially.

As for the first two parts -- they come to us from the angel Gabriel and from Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) respectively.

So, if Catholics are guilty of "praying to someone else besides God," then Gabriel and Elizabeth are guilty of the same.

But that's not an accusation you really want to make, is it?

Answer 3

The roman church has a slogan "through mary to Christ" and thus for many worshippers their devotion stops with mary. They pray to mary, not to Christ. Their prayers are directed to her personally. Rcs are taught that all grace necessary flows through mary. She is reguarded as a kind of fourth person of the blessed trinity. They speak of Mary as "holy" as the "mother of God" and as "co-redeemer with Christ" This gives the impression that they see her as more than human.
These assumptions have NO basis in Scripture and are nothing more that LIES LIES and more LIES of the roman church. They keep people away from the Bible and totally in bondage to themselves. they have the Rcs brianwashed from birth and most never question the priests on ANYTHING! Which is how they are allowed to get away with so much perversion of people and the gospel.

Answer 4

The 'Hail Mary' is a Catholic prayer asking Mary, the Mother of God (Jesus Christ) to intercede on our behalf. Catholic doctrine states that Mary was taken 'body and soul' into Heaven. It goes like this 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are Thou amongst woman, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus Christ. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.
Catholics do not 'adore' Mary, nor do they treat her as a God. Quite simply, She is the mother of Jesus and we ask her to help us in different ways. I ask you, what is wrong with that.........

Answer 5

Only Catholics say the "Hail Mary." She is the Blessed Mother of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. She deserves our respect and heartfelt prayers.

Answer 6

Why can't Mary have a prayer? If God wants all the prayers then he's just a greedy bastard!

Answer 7

It's a prayer asking Mary to pray to God for us. (Much like we do in an Earthly prayer group...we ask our friends to pray for us.)

Just because someones physical body is gone doesn't mean that they can't pray for us!

Answer 8

This prayer is directly from scripture. When the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary with "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee" or "Hail, highly favored one" (in some translations). The angel Gabriel greeted Mary to bring her news that she had been the chosen one to bring the Savior into the world through a virgin birth. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and after her "Yes" to God, she became pregnant with our Savior Jesus. And after that, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was old and beyond child bearing years but she, through the Grace of God, was pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth greeted Mary with "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb"....This is also from scripture and can be found in the Gospel of Luke 1:28-33 also in the Old Testament, you will see the overshadowing of this event with the Virgin-Daughter of Zion in both Isaiah 37:22 and also in Zechariah 2:10-13 to name but a few. Catholics honor Mary, the Mother of God, and we ask her intercession in the Hail Mary Prayer with her Son, Jesus. The prayer is "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. At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave his mother to the Apostle John and to all of us, as our Heavenly Mother who brings all souls to Jesus. Mary always brings us to her Son Jesus.

Answer 9

It is a prayer dedicated to the Mother of God. She after all is the only one person chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ. She is the highest honor of the human race.

Answer 10

good question...problem with bad catholics, who put Mary at the level of Jesus...which is wrong...but I don't wan tto argue about that...yes it's a prayer to Mary and I have no idea where did they ge tthe idea to pray to Mary instead of God.