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.
CATHOLIC 12TH CENTURY AD (FULL FORM)
The Hail Mary
Also known as Ave Maria · The Angelic Salutation
Other forms
Latin (Ave Maria)
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
About this prayer
The Hail Mary is the most widely said Marian prayer in the Catholic tradition. It is composed of three parts drawn from two sources. The first part, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,' comes from the angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28. The second part, 'Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,' comes from Elizabeth's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:42. These two scriptural phrases were used in liturgical settings from at least the 6th century AD. The third part, the petition beginning 'Holy Mary, Mother of God,' was added gradually in the medieval period and reached its current form by the 15th century. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) approved the prayer in its present form. In Orthodox practice, a similar Marian salutation is used, though the prayer is not as central to Orthodox devotional life as it is to Catholic practice.
When it's said
The Hail Mary is said ten times in each decade of the Rosary, making it the most frequently repeated prayer in the Rosary devotion. It is also said at the Angelus (three times, three times daily), in the Litany of Loreto, and as a general Marian devotion throughout the day. Many Catholics say it upon waking and before sleep. In some Orthodox traditions, a variant form is used in Marian services and the Akathist hymn.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'Mother of God' translates the Greek Theotokos, a title affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. Protestant traditions generally do not use the Hail Mary, as the petition addressed to Mary reflects a theology of intercession not shared by most Reformed or evangelical churches. The prayer is described here as Catholic and Orthodox; it is presented without theological comment on the underlying doctrine.
Common questions
Where does the Hail Mary come from?
The first half comes directly from the Gospel of Luke. The opening line, 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,' is the greeting of the angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation in Luke 1:28. The next line, 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,' is Elizabeth's greeting to Mary at the Visitation in Luke 1:42. These two scriptural greetings were used as a private prayer from at least the 6th century AD.
When was the second half added?
The second half ('Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death') developed gradually between the 13th and 15th centuries AD as a petition added to the scriptural opening. The Council of Trent in the 16th century confirmed the form that Catholics know today, and it appeared in the Roman Breviary of 1568 in essentially its modern shape.
Do Protestants say the Hail Mary?
Most Protestants do not say the full Hail Mary. The Reformers objected to the second half, which asks Mary to pray for the petitioner, on the grounds that intercession should be addressed directly to Christ. The scriptural first half, being drawn entirely from Luke, is sometimes used in Lutheran, Anglican, and other Protestant traditions as a reflection on the Annunciation, particularly during Advent.
What does 'full of grace' mean?
The Greek phrase in Luke 1:28 is κεχαριτωμένη (kecharitōmenē), a perfect passive participle meaning 'having been graced' or 'having been filled with favor.' The Latin Vulgate rendered it 'gratia plena,' which became 'full of grace' in English. Catholic theology has historically read the phrase as a reference to Mary's unique sanctification; many Protestants read it more simply as 'highly favored,' which is how some modern Protestant translations render it.
Source
Luke 1:28 and Luke 1:42 (New Testament, scriptural portions). Full form from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.