HAIL MARY - Isn't scripture beautiful?

Question

Did you know that the Hail Mary prayer is totally Bible based"
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women, and blessed id the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen"

Lets break it down:
1) Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (direct quote from scripture: Luke 1:28)
2) Blessed are thou among women, and blessed id the fruit of thy womb, Jesus (direct quote from scripture: Luke 1:42)
3) Holy Mary, mother of God (Christ is God incarnete, and since Mary bore God in her womb she is rightly called the Mother of God: "Theotokos", or "God-bearer". Remeber what Elizabeth said: "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?" Luke 1:43)

4) pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen (Revelation 5:8 shows that the saints in heaven do actively intercede for us, and in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul strongly encouraged Christians to intercede for each other since such prayers are "pleasing to God". Since Paul says that death does not seperate us from God, it is good to ask our departed brothers and sisters to pray for us the same way we would ask those on earth to pray for us. After all, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16 (KJV).
Comments?

MORE INFO:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp

Answer 1

Its a beautiful prayer. I love my mother in heaven. I pray the hail mary daily.

Answer 2

Again Sola Scriptura proven false by scripture.

To Vot Anarж, you don't correctly understand the prayer. When we say Hail Mary, we aren't saying she is holy. It's a greeting. It means "Hello Mary" It's the "full of grace" part that you have an issue with. I have my doubts if anyone else in the Bible is given that title. We do not have a Hail Peter and what not because they didn't bring Christ to us. Mary was the mother of God and she made him start his ministry. She directly influenced Christ on earth so why should we expect her to be any different in Heaven?

Answer 3

You know what I find frustrating? Protestants always demand that we prove our doctrines and beliefs according to Scripture. And yet when we do, they say we're misinterpreting the Bible or misquoting it.

Speaking of which, I somehow think that the angel Gabriel probably knew a heck of a lot more about the subject of Mary's state of grace than any other human being except her Son. That's why the Angelic Salutation *is* included in the Bible, after all. God must have considered it pretty important if He allowed Gabriel's words to be transcribed into Scripture.

So I'm hard-pressed to understand why so many people object to saying a prayer taken directly from the Bible. . .and the words of an angel, at that!

Answer 4

It is beautiful, when you actually know it.

Luk 1:28 And entering, the angel said to her, Hail, one having received grace! The Lord is with you. You are blessed among women!
Mary, in Scripture, is never said to be "full of grace", only Christ alone is given this honor.

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth.

Mary is never called the "mother of God" in Scripture. She was the mother of the human, incarnate Jesus, He was deity before she ever came into existence.

She was also a sinner who needed a savior, Christ alone.
Luk 1:46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luk 1:47 and my spirit exulted in God My Savior.
Someone who is sinless doesn't need a savior.

Rev 5:8 And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having harps, and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints.

Saints are spirit indwelt believers in Christ. These are the prayers of all believers, recorded in Heaven.

Paul does exhort us to pray for each other, living saints for living saints.

The term "departed brothers and sisters" never appears in Scripture.

Answer 5

She probably can hear prayers, but I think basically she must have said to the Lord Jesus, who is God and can handle every person's issues at the same time, 'you deal with all prayers addressed to me, I'm only human and can't handle millions each day'. So the prayers go to Jesus anyway.

Answer 6

Yes Scripture is wonderful but need to use it in the right context and not make it suit what you want it to.

Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

The God of the Cults is created with the attributes that suit the teaching of each cult and will always resemble the personality of the cult leader. In the beginning, God created man, and the cults keep trying to return that favor by creating a god of their own.

Each cult has its own bible. It may be a book that is added to the Bible or it may be a book that substitutes for the Bible. In either case, the replacement book is a false source for truth. God said about His Book, the Bible, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18 & 19. The Bible stands alone as God’s Word, and needs no additional book to explain or complete it.

Answer 7

Yes the scriptures are beautiful but more beautiful still is the Mother of the eternal Word incarnate.

You are all fair Mary and the stain of original sin is not in you.
Exalted above all the angels and saints you intercede for us before the Most Holy Trinity.

Answer 8

For those who prefer not to pray to dead people - pay closer attention the next time you recite the Apostles Creed to the "communion of saints" part.

I think most Christian denominations share a belief in intercessory prayer. Regarding the Saints, sure, you don't have to pray for them, but that doesn't keep them from praying for you.

Jim Cosgrove
http://www.PrayTwice.Com

Answer 9

Well Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for us too so I guess we need a lot of prayers.


Yes, I love the Word Of God!

Answer 10

yes, it is beautiful and I love her.

All of these so called Christians who think that Mary and the Saints are dead are fools---absolutely fools. Why do they believe in Jesus if they believe all of these people that did are dead?---He came so that we might have LIFE---and have it more abundantly. All of the Pharisees also believed in the resurrection of the dead at the last judgment---Jesus did not need to die to teach them that---Martha said to Jesus when Lazarus died that she knew he would rise on the judgment day---but Jesus told her what exactly the deal was---I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, THOSE THAT BELIEVE IN ME, EVEN THOUGH HE DIES, WILL LIVE!! Catholics do not die---we live-- we are only changed with death.

Answer 11

Respectfully I must agree with Vot Anarж. Part 3 is definitely NOT Bible based. I love Mary. I love the Apostles. I love all the Saints. I love the Angels. I love Jesus. But when I pray and bless the Lord I will pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.
-------------Jhn 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
-------------Jhn 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
-------------Jhn 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
--------------Mary is certainly HONOURED above all women.
YES! But she had to be saved just like every other human being every born.
She is certainly the mother of Jesus. But remember when Jesus entered the Earth as a man He laid aside his Divine Powers and operated as a Man. Indeed He prayed to the Father as a Man. And He did the miracles He did as a Man obedient to the Father and in Faith.
You of course will counter that Jesus received worship as God. And you of course are correct.
But no where in the NT or the OT do we see the saints worshiping or praying to other Saints that have gone on before us except in the case of Saul calling the spirit of the prophet thru the Witch at Endor(which was strictly forbidden) and in the case of the story of Lazarus and the rich man, but in which case both the rich man and Abraham had already proceeded to Paradise.
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Of course you may certainly continue to say the Hail Mary and I will not criticize you but again, Part 3 is not Biblical.
It is true that Elizabeth calls her mother of my Lord.
It is true that Mary bore Jesus.
It is true that the Orthodox refer to her asTheotokos. I've heard this all my life as a Greek Orthodox.
BUT to call her mother of God is a stretch that even Greek Orthodox priest do not always agree on. I know this to be a fact.
I firmly believe that Mary prays to the Father in the name of
Jesus. As do all the saints in Heaven and as all saints on Earth should.
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Worship, the bowing of the head, and kneeling in worship is reserved for God and God alone.
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I Cr 13;8a
Ps 122:6
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Wishing you and all a very Happy Happy Thanksgiving Day.

EDIT: I agree with Bro M and Wally, and some of the others as well. They certainly know what they are talking about.
BUT, Mary is in fact HOLY. All those who love and have Jesus in their hearts are SAINTS. Saint is the Greek word for Holy. In other words, if you are a true believer in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you are in fact a saint, er go Holy.
On this I agree with the Catholic Church. Mary is Holy. But
so are all true Christians.
-----------Holy simply means separated.... separated unto God.

EDIT EDIT: Jesus and only Jesus must be the focus of our admiration, prayer and praise, both now and forever. To the glory of God the Father.
It is the ultimate goal of each and every Christian on Earth to
be conformed to the image of Christ in character and power.