EXCELLENT ADVICE: PRACTICE THE DEVOTION OF THE THREE HAIL MARYS DAILY

What does the devotion of the three Hail Marys consist of?

It involves praying the Hail Mary three times to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God and our Lady, either to honor her or to obtain some favor through her mediation.

What is the purpose of this devotion?

To honor the three principal attributes of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which are:

1. The power that God the Father granted her for being his beloved Daughter.

2. The wisdom with which God the Son adorned her, choosing her as his Mother.

3. The mercy with which God the Holy Spirit filled her, choosing her as his Immaculate Spouse.

Hence, there are three Hail Marys to pray, and not a different number.

What is the way to pray the three Hail Marys?

"Mary, my Mother, deliver me from falling into mortal sin.

1. By the power the Eternal Father has given you

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

2. By the wisdom the Son has given you.

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

3. By the love the Holy Spirit has given you

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,  Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!

What is the origin of the devotion of the three Hail Marys?

Saint Matilda, a Benedictine nun, begged the Blessed Virgin to assist her at the hour of death.  The Virgin Mary told her the following: "Yes, I will; but I want you to pray three Hail Marys daily for me. The first, asking that just as God the Father raised me to a throne of unparalleled glory, making me the most powerful in heaven and on earth, so also I may assist you on earth to strengthen you and remove from you all hostile power. For the second Hail Mary, you will ask me that just as the Son of God filled me with wisdom, to such an extent that I have more knowledge of the Holy Trinity than all the Saints, so I may assist you in the trance of death to fill your soul with the lights of faith and true wisdom, so that it is not darkened by the darkness of error and ignorance. For the third, you will ask that just as the Holy Spirit has filled me with the sweetness of his love, and has made me so lovable that after God I am the sweetest and most merciful, so I may assist you in death by filling your soul with such  Gentleness of divine love, may all the pain and bitterness of death be changed for you into delights."

And this promise was extended to the benefit of all who put into practice this daily prayer of the three Hail Marys.

What are Our Lady's promises to those who prayed the three Hail Marys daily?

Our Lady promised Saint Matilda and other pious souls that whoever prayed three Hail Marys daily would have her help during life and her special assistance at the hour of death, appearing at that final hour with the radiance of such beauty that just seeing her would console them and transmit to them the joys of Heaven.

Mary renews her promise of protection:

When Sister Maria Villani, a Dominican nun (16th century), was praying the three Hail Marys one day, she heard these encouraging words from the Virgin Mary's lips:

"Not only will you obtain the graces you ask of me, but in life and in death I promise to be your special protector and that of all those like you who practice this devotion."

The Blessed Virgin also said: "The devotion of the three Hail Marys has always been very dear to me... Do not cease to pray them and to have them prayed as much as you can. Every day you will have proof of their effectiveness..."

It was the Blessed Virgin herself who told Saint Gertrude that "whoever venerates her in her relationship with the Most Holy Trinity will experience the power communicated to her by the Omnipotence of the Father as the Mother of God; she will admire the ingenious means inspired by the wisdom of the Son for the salvation of men, and she will contemplate the ardent charity kindled in her heart by the Holy Spirit."

Referring to all those who invoked her daily, commemorating the power, wisdom, and love bestowed upon them by the August Trinity, Mary told Saint Gertrude that, "At the hour of his death, I will reveal myself to him with the radiance of such great beauty that my sight will console him and communicate to him the joys of heaven."

What is the basis of this devotion?

The Catholic affirmation that the Blessed Virgin possessed, to the highest degree possible for a creature, the attributes of power, wisdom, and mercy.

This is what the Church teaches when it invokes Mary as the Powerful Virgin, Mother of Mercy, and Seat of Wisdom.