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Friday, October 7, 2016

Hail Mary

The entrance antiphon before today's Mass for the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary read:

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among
women and blessed is
the fruit of your womb.  (Note ending punctuation.)

Some people automatically added "Jesus," as if they were praying a regular Hail Mary prayer.
But for centuries, the name of Jesus wasn't used there.  People just prayed the direct scripture quote when Elizabeth greeted Mary.  St. Bernardino of Siena, who had a special devotion to the holy name of Jesus, used it, and it caught on.

Here also is where many people add different various phrases.  If one wanted to focus on the mystery of that decade, they could add:

for the Nativity
...blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, who was born in a humble stable.
and say it on each of the ten beads.

for the Crucifixion
...blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, who suffered and died for our sins.
and say it on each of the ten beads.

Get the idea?

or special intentions
...blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, whom I beg to help my son find work.
and say it on each of the ten beads.

...blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, whom I ask to heal my sick child.
and say it on each of the ten beads

Although one might say this makes the rosary too long, you can't deny the fact that it keeps you focused on your praying.






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