Dissecting the “Hail Mary” for those who don’t understand it.
HAIL (Mary) - HIGHLY ranked Archangel Gabriel greets Mary as a Superior, with a lesser greeting than he proferred to Zachary, (the “deputed High Priest” of ALL Israel and the ONLY one who could enter into the sanctuary to offer incense in the holy of holies!).
FULL OF GRACE - this is not only a “Biblical principle” it is from God the Father. Grace is God’s free gift. Holy. Mary is “full of Grace.”
THE LORD IS WITH THEE - An astounding and true declaration from God Himself through the miraculously appearing Archangel. And TRUE. We do not liberally repair the scripture to say WAS with thee. Once she was “with child” - this was literally true in a physical way. It is also the most intimate union of God to any human being in Human history. And was to that time as well. The holy spirit filled Elizabeth’s declaration
that Mary’s voice caused her (holy and miraculously conceived due to prayer child - John) to leap in her womb ought to lead any REAL Christian to someday carefully consider every word Mary speaks in scripture! For the Lord is “with her”.
WITH HER before she said her “Let it be done unto me” YES to God and the Angel!
WITH HER when she said it.
WITH HER when she immediately journeyed to help serve another person in need.
WITH HER when she spoke the soaring prayer of exaltation to God called the Magnificat.
WITH HER when she accepted Joseph as her earthly husband and infant’s protector
WITH HER when she journeyed again when about to give birth to obey the law
WITH HER when they were denied even the dignity of decent shelter after that journey.
WITH HER while she was*** FIRST REJECTED*** by people who thought of her as worthless, her unborn CHILD as GARBAGE to be gotten rid of, and her pregnancy making of her a GARBAGE CAN! Her son would be treated as garbage again. And is still, sadly.
But she was really GOD"S treasure chest - holding the greatest treasure of ALL.
GREATER than the Holy Ark of the Covenant which held the tablets of the law, the miraculously reblooming staff of Aaron, and the God given Manna from heaven.
GREATER because the Ark (which could not be even touched for it’s holiness) did not have free will to say “Let it be done unto to me …” and accept God’s covenant. The Ark contained holy stones touched by the “hand of God.” Mary contained the FULFILLMENT of that law, God Himself made man.
GREATER than the Ark because Aaron’s staff which also worked miracles through God’s power and produced life after its “death” by blooming - was just a shadow of Jesus who worked greater miracles on His OWN power, rose from the dead, and passed a new shepherd’s staff to the Church He founded to save souls.
GREATER than the Ark because the fruit of her womb called Himself “The Bread of Life”
and gave HIMSELF to us for eternal life; greater than the miraculous manna that sustained people for the day - but who later died.
BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN - All women. Including Eve who was not formed with Original Sin on her soul either. Mary was conceived, not formed from a rib, but through God’s Grace her “original sinless beginning” was equal to or superior to Eve’s particularly considering her predestined office as the Mother of Jesus (son of God, God the Son, son of Man, and savior of all mankind). Eve (who scripture calls the “mother of all living …”) was first the mother of Cain who became the first murderer.
God’s gift to Mary
(her unique Immaculate Conception, a sinless beginning in grace) is and was nonetheless part of His plan of salvation for her - and Mary acknowledges God as “my Savior” in her “Magnificat” prayer in Luke (even though Christ had not yet died on a cross). She was thus ***the first person in history to call Jesus her “own personal savior” *** as it were. Even though her entry into heaven had not occurred when she spoke those words - and would not until after Christ’s sacrifice, resurrection, ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit that began the rule of the Church on earth!
The Church of course teaches just this (as can easily be found in her Bible) - though
some “teachers” who bear false witness accuse the Church of preposterously claiming such nonsense as:
- saying Mary is considered a Goddess (Never has been taught by the Church = NTC)
- Catholics think Mary needed no savior since she was sinless (NTC - a false witness!)
- Catholics think Mary is “God the Mother!” (NTC - not God at all. But Christ’s mother, yes)
- Catholics worship Mary as if she’s God (NTC - Hail Mary prayer - "pray for us " TO God)
AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB (Jesus!) - The Son of Man (through Mary) is of course also conceived without sin (that is, in no way inferior to Adam, formed without original sin by the Hand of God). He did not inherit any bit of original sin from EITHER parent since one parent was sinless God Himself and the other was Mary (full of grace and MADE holy). This (biblical message as it were but more importantly a message from God to Mary before IT EVER became recorded in the Bible) was spoken TO Mary and about her. HER “fruit” (God’s word) was the coming of God Himself to Earth to redeem man and open heaven! The Church added the holy name of JESUS to the Angel’s quote and the prayer here for reference - as it did with “Hail (Mary <understood).”
JESUS ‘+’ - at this point of the “Hail Mary” prayer, one is supposed to bow one’s head in worship to acknowledge the Holy Name and Christ’s Godhood and Lordship.
- In some Missals and Catholic Bibles which include the Hail Mary written out as an addendum, you will see a “cross” symbol following the name of Jesus to indicate that one is to bow one’s head in worship then.
The name of “Mary” addressed earlier is saluted and exalted - because we follow the Lord in honoring her - but the Church does not instruct a head bow of worship to her as it does to the name of Our Lord (even in what some think is HER own prayer!). Every knee shall bow and tongue will tell that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Matthew 12:33 "Either declare
the tree good and its fruit is good, or declare the tree rotten and its fruit is rotten,** for a tree is known by its fruit. **
34 You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. 37 By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
Think on THIS when tempted to have enmity with “the Woman” God promised to send and who has enmity with the snake. Pick the “the Woman” not the snake when you decide whose child to become.
Genesis 315 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
It is JESUS who strikes at the head of the snake (not Cain nor even Abel) and so the “Woman,” alludes to Mary, the new Eve, who says “Yes” to God and “No” to sin.
- we bow our heads at the Holy Name of Jesus (to be continued)
I would be very insistent (if the conversation arose) that this devotion is NOT worship, which is only due to God. I would say it springs from our Love of God, and everything, and everyone that is close to God, which surely includes His Mother. We are NOT just worried about our own salvation, but also in pleasing God, in every possible way. Evangelicals (especially) are hung up on Faith and what is necessary for salvation, but Loving God is the first commandment. 
< GREATER greeting than he proferred to Zachary (the “deputed High Priest” of ALL Israel and the ONLY one who could enter into the sanctuary to offer incense in the holy of holies!).