Do you know the true meaning of the Hail Mary?

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Pope Francis explains the meaning of the words we utter in this most important prayer

We all pray the Hail Mary. But how many of us know its true meaning? What do we mean by this prayer?

In the book Maria. Mamma di Tutti  ( editions San Pablo, published in Italy ), it is Pope Francis himself who teaches us the meaning of the words we utter in this most important prayer. Check out!

Full of grace

The angel Gabriel refers to Mary, using the expression “full of grace” (Lk 1, 28): “there is no room for sin, because God has always chosen her as the mother of Jesus and the preserved from original sin. And the Word became flesh in his bosom. We too are called to hear the Word of God, who speaks to us, and to abide by his will. The Lord always speaks to us. “

The Lord is with you.

What happened to the Virgin, “explains Francis,” also happens to us on a spiritual level, when we accept the Word of God with good and sincere hearts and put it into practice. It is as if God became flesh in us. He comes to dwell in us, because he dwells in those who love him and follow his Word. It is not easy to understand this, but, yes, it is easy to feel in the heart. “

Blessed are you among women

How did Mary live this faith? The Pope replies: “He lived in the simplicity of the thousand daily occupations and concerns of any mother, such as providing food, clothing, care for the home … It was precisely this normal existence of the Virgin that was the ground where a singular relationship and a dialogue took place between her and God, between her and her Son. “

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus

Francis clarifies that Mary is receptive, not passive: “physically, [she] receives the power of the Holy Spirit, but then gives flesh and blood to the Son of God who is formed in her. In this way, on the spiritual plane, he receives grace and corresponds to it with faith. Hence, St. Augustine says that the Virgin ‘conceived before in the heart rather than in the womb’.

Holly Mary mother of god

The Pope continues: “The Mother of the Redeemer precedes us and continually confirms us in faith, vocation and mission. With his example of humility and willingness to God’s will, it helps us to imprint our faith in the proclamation of the Gospel. “

Pray for us sinners

To explain the meaning of this passage, Francis uses a story:

“I remember once in the sanctuary of Luján [in Buenos Aires, Argentina], I was in the confessional, before which there was a long line. There was also a whole young man with chains, tattoos, and all these things. And he came to tell me what was going on. It was a serious, difficult problem. And she told me: I told my mother this and she said to me: go to the Virgin and she will tell you what you have to do. She was a woman who had the gift of counsel. She did not know how to solve her son’s problem, but she showed him the right way: go to the Virgin and she will tell you. This is the gift of counsel. This humble and simple woman gave the child the best advice. In fact, the boy told me: I looked at the Virgin and I felt I had to do this, that and this … I had nothing to talk about, his mother had already told the young man everything. You, mothers, who have this gift, Ask for your children. The gift of giving counsel to children is a gift from God. “

Now and at the hour of our death

Pope Benedict added: “Let us entrust ourselves to Mary so that she, as Mother, as the mother of our first-born brother, Jesus, may teach us to have the same maternal spirit in relation to our brothers, with the sincere capacity to welcome, , give strength and lead trust and hope. That’s what a mother does. Mary’s way to heaven began in that YES pronounced at Nazareth in response to the heavenly messenger who announced God’s will for her … Every YES to God is a step to heaven, to eternal life. “

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