This prayer has three parts to it.
The first part is taken from the Annunciation when the angel praised Mary for her holiness and closeness to God. The second part is taken from the visitation, when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth proclaimed that Mary was blessed among women and that through her, God's son would enter the world.
The final phrases of the prayer are the prayer of the Church. We ask Mary to pray for us through her closeness to God and her relationship with Jesus.
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| Visitation, Lady Chapel at Lancaster Cathedral |
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| Anunciation, St Walburgha's Chapel, Lancaster |
The three parts of the prayer were put together to form the Hail Mary and was used as early as 1196.
