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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.
Later on, St.
Leonard of Port-Maurice, the celebrated missionary, had the three Hail Marys
recited morning and evening in honor of Mary Immaculate, to obtain the grace of
avoiding all mortal sins during the day or night; moreover, he promised in a
special manner eternal salvation to all those who proved constantly faithful to
this practice.
After the
example of those two great Franciscan Saints, St. Alphonsus of 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.
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."
Even persons
consecrated to God will derive from this practice much precious and salutary
fruit. Numerous examples may show how agreeable the three Hail Marys are to the
Divine Mother and what special graces they draw, during life and at the hour of
death, on those who never omit them for a single day.
This practice
has been revealed to St. Melchtilde (13th Century) with the promise of a good
death, if she was faithful to it, every day.
It is written,
also, in St. Gertrude’s revelations: "While this Saint sang the Hail Mary,
at the matins of the Annunciation, she suddenly saw spring out from the Heart
of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, three bright flames which
penetrated the Heart of the Holy Virgin." Then she heard the following words:
"After the Power of the Father, the Wisdom of the Son and the merciful
Tenderness of the Holy Spirit, nothing approaches the Power, the Wisdom and the
merciful Tenderness of Mary."
His Holiness
Benedict XV has raised the Confraternity of the Three Hail Marys to an
Archconfraternity by according it precious indulgences with the power to
aggregate to itself all Confraternities of the same kind, and to communicate
them its own indulgences.
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."
(Indulgences
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.)
ACT OF
CONSECRATION
TO OUR LADY OF THE BLESSED TRINITY
With all my
heart I praise Thee, Most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in Paradise,
Daughter of the Eternal Father, and I consecrate to Thee my soul with all its
faculties.
Hail Mary...*
With all my
heart I praise Thee, Most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in Paradise,
beloved Mother of the Son of God. I consecrate to Thee my body with all its
senses.
Hail Mary...*
With all my
heart I praise Thee, Most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in Paradise,
beloved Spouse of the Holy Ghost, I consecrate to Thee my heart, with all its
affections and beseech Thee to obtain for me from the Most Holy Trinity all the
graces necessary for salvation.
Hail Mary...*
*Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou among women and
blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Imprimatur: February 7,
1963
†FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN
Archbishop of New
York
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