The Three Hail Marys

The Devotion to the Immaculate Lily of the Most Holy Trinity

One of the greatest means of salvation, and one of the surest signs of predestination, is, unquestionably, devotion to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. All the holy Doctors of the Church are unanimous in saying with St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori: "A devout servant of Mary shall never perish." The chief thing is to persevere faithfully till death in this devotion.

Would you like to see the Blessed Mother before you die? Here is a simple devotion which the Blessed Virgin Mary herself taught to St. Mechtilde about the year 1270. It is known as the "Three Hail Mary Devotion," and consists of saying three times each day the Hail Mary with the invocation "O my Mother, preserve me this day (or night) from mortal sin." The prayer is said three times to honor the Most Blessed Trinity, Who is the source of all of Our Lady's greatness. It is intended to honor the Power of God the Father, the Wisdom of God the Son, and the Goodness of God the Holy Ghost, as communicated with such generosity to Our Blessed Lady. Can there be an easier or a more adaptable practice for all, than the recitation each day of three Hail Marys, in honor of the privileges conferred by the Adorable Trinity on the Blessed Virgin Mary?

This devotion was revealed by our Blessed Mother Herself to the Benedictine mystic, St. Mechtilde. In the Book of Revelations of St. Mechtilde we read:

"While Mechtilde was beseeching the glorious Virgin to assist her in her hour of death, Our Lady appeared to her and said: 'I will certainly. But I also want you to say three special Hail Mary's to me every day.

'The first will be in honor of God the Father, Whose omnipotence raised my soul so high above every other creature that, after God, I have the greatest power in Heaven and on earth. In the hour of your death, I will use that power of God the Father to keep any hostile power far from you.

'The second Hail Mary will be said in honor of the Son of God, Who communicated His inscrutable wisdom to me. In the hour of your death, I will fill your soul with the light of that wisdom, so that all the darkness of ignorance and error will be dispelled.

'The third Hail Mary will be in honor of God the Holy Ghost, Who filled my soul with the sweetness of His love and tenderness and mercy. In your last hour, I will then change the bitterness of death into divine sweetness and delight."

The secretary who wrote down the revelations of St. Mechtilde at her dictation was St. Gertrude the Great. She was present when St. Mechtilde died and saw Our Lord appearing to her. Later, many revelations regarding the Three Hail Mary Devotion were revealed to her also.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, 1299, when the Ave Maria was being sung in chapel during Matins, St. Gertrude saw a vision of three bright flames emanating from each of the Three Divine Persons, which penetrated the Heart of the Holy Virgin, like three rays. She was given to understand that the three brilliant streams were symbols that: "After the Power of the Father, the Wisdom of the Son, and the merciful Tenderness of the Holy Ghost, nothing approaches the Power, the Wisdom, and the merciful Tenderness of Mary."

She then saw other streams return to their first source, and was inspired to know that these were graces which Our Lady sent to those who prayed her Ave Maria with devotion.

On another day, during prayer she saw our Blessed Mother in the form of a white lily with three branches before the Most Blessed Trinity. This revelation confirmed the title of "the Immaculate Lily of the Most Holy Trinity", which saints had given to Her. The saint learned on that occasion that the blinding whiteness of the lily signified the immaculate purity of the Holy Mother of God which was never stained with even the slightest venial sin. The three branches signified Our Lady's participation in the omnipotence of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and the charity of the Holy Ghost. Then Our Blessed Mother spoke to St. Gertrude and said:

"To any soul who faithfully prays the Three Hail Mary's, I will appear at the hour of death in a splendor so extraordinary that it will fill the soul with heavenly consolation."

One of the first to say the three Hail Marys and to recommend them to others was the illustrious St. Anthony of Padua. His special aim in this practice was to honor the spotless Virginity of Mary and to preserve a perfect purity of mind, heart, and body in the midst of the dangers of the world. Many, like him, have felt its salutary effects. St. Leonard of Port Maurice, the celebrated missionary (1675-1751), advised all his hearers to practice this devotion. It was given as a penance in confession, to obtain the grace of avoiding all mortal sins during the day or night, especially for those who were struggling with sins of impurity; moreover, he promised in a special manner, eternal salvation to all those who proved constantly faithful to this practice. He would always impose the Three Hail Marys to be said morning and evening.

After the example of those two great Franciscan Saints, St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori adopted this pious practice and gave it his most ardent and powerful support. He counseled its use, and even imposed it as a penance on those who had not adopted this good habit. He speaks of it in his beautiful, classic book The Glories of Mary:

"Each morning and each night, when arising and when going to bed, say three Hail Mary's prostrate on the ground, or at least kneeling, and to each Hail Mary add the short aspiration: 'By thy pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my soul holy.' Father Auriemma tells how the Holy Virgin promised St. Mechtilde that all who remained faithful to this daily practice would die a good death."

The holy Doctor exhorts, in particular, parents and confessors to watch carefully that children be faithful in reciting each day their three Hail Marys, morning and evening. Or rather, like St. Leonard of Port-Maurice, he earnestly recommends it to all, "to the devout and to sinners, to the young and old."

Most famous of all propagators of this devotion was the Capuchin, Father John Baptist of Blois. It was because of his work that Pope Leo XIII indulgenced this devotional practice. At Blois he founded the Confraternity entitled "Pia Opera for the Propagation of the Three Hail Mary's." Approved by many Bishops, in a short time it became widespread in many countries. Later, on July 30, 1921, Benedict XV, in an Apostolic letter, raised its status to that of an Archconfraternity, and accorded to it precious indulgences.

The same Father John Baptist of Blois founded the monthly periodical Le Propagateur des Trois Ave Maria in which are published some of the innumerable spiritual and temporal favors granted by Our Lady through this devotion.

There is also an official Archconfraternity status and picture of Our Lady. Its characteristic: from the visible Immaculate Heart of Mary come forth three rays of light, one for each of the Three Divine Persons of God. On the ray which symbolizes God the Father is engraved the word Omnipotence, on that of God the Son the word Wisdom, on that of God the Holy Ghost the word Mercy.

Why is this short, simple, and easy devotion to Our Lady so powerful? The answer lies in the power of the Hail Mary. So many Catholics throughout the ages of history have lived and died without ever truly appreciating the priceless value of the Hail Mary. Too many people underestimate the power of the Blessed Virgin Mary before God, even today. St. Theresa of Avila wrote: "The glory due to one devout Hail Mary is worth a long life of suffering."

The saints appreciated the Hail Mary more than most people, and even their appreciation was inadequate. St. Louis de Montfort said:

"Few Christians, however enlightened, know the real value, merit, excellence, and necessity of the Hail Mary. It was necessary for the Blessed Virgin to appear several times to great and enlightened saints to show them the merit of it. They have composed entire works on the wonders and efficiency of that prayer for converting souls. They have loudly proclaimed and openly preached that, salvation having begun with the Hail Mary, the salvation of each one of us in particular is attached to that prayer. They tell us that it is that prayer which made the dry and barren earth bring forth the fruit of life; and that it is that prayer – well said – which makes the word of God germinate in our souls, and bring forth Jesus Christ, the Fruit of Life. They tell us that the Hail Mary is a heavenly dew for watering the earth, which is the soul, to make it bring forth fruit in season; and that a soul which is not watered by that prayer bears no fruit, and brings forth only thorns and brambles, and is ready to be cursed."

This devotion is also an act of adoration of the Most Blessed Trinity. By the triple invocation we adore God the Father, of Whose omnipotence she participates; God the Son, Who has communicated all His wisdom to her; God the Holy Ghost, Whose mercy and goodness are conveyed to mankind alone through her. Is there then any reason to wonder why this devotion is so powerful?

Skeptics of all ages are constantly pointing out the disproportion between the Three Hail Mary's and eternal salvation. Father John Baptist of Blois had this answer for them:

"If to you, as it does to certain intellectuals, this devotion seems disproportionate to the end in view, then take the matter up with the Blessed Virgin Mary. She began it, and she has blessed it with enormous graces. Or better still, take it up with God Himself, Who gave such power to Mary."

Practice: Recite, morning and evening, three Hail Marys in honor of the three great privileges, with this invocation at the end: for the morning: "O my Mother, preserve me from mortal sin during this day," for the evening: "O my Mother, preserve me from mortal sin during this night."

(Indulgence of 200 days granted by Leo XIII; 300 days for the members of the Archconfraternity of the Three Hail Marys by Benedict XV, and Apostolic Benediction by Pius X.)

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