Three Hail Marys

on the excellence of this practice.

Early practice

This practice was done by Franciscans and eventually developed into the Angelus prayer.

One of the first to practice this and to recommend it was St Anthony of Padua (1195–1231). His purpose 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".

Revelations from the Blessed Virgin Mary

St Mechtilde (1241-1298), a Benedictine nun, received a private revelation from the Virgin Mary on how the Three Hail Marys honor the three persons of the Blessed Trinity:

:"The first Hail Mary 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 from you.

:"The second Hail Mary will be in honor of God the Son, 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."

According to St Gertrude the Great|Gertrude (1256–1301), the Blessed Virgin Mary promised the following: "To any soul who faithfully prays the Three Hail Marys I will appear at the hour of death in a splendor of beauty so extraordinary that it will fill the soul with Heavenly consolation."

Other recommendations

Later on, St Leonard of Port Maurice "had the three Ave Marias recited morning and evening in honor of Mary Immaculate, to obtain the grace of avoiding all mortal sins during the day or and night; moreover, he promised in a special manner eternal salvation to all those who proved constantly faithful to this practice."

Doctor of the Church St Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787) adopted this pious practice and highly recommended it. He told parents to train their children to acquire the habit of saying three Hail Marys in the morning and evening. After each Hail Mary, he advice that the following prayer be said: "By thy Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my soul holy."

According to the St Martha Catholic Church of the Pallottine Fathers, after Night Prayers: "Many saints have had the practice of adding three Hail Marys here in honor of Mary's purity for the grace of a chaste and holy life." [http://www.stmartha.org/Prayers.htm] Thus, it has been recommended as a daily practice for people who have received confirmation that they pray the Three Hail Marys for "purity of mind, heart and body" after examination of conscience, before going to bed. [http://home.catholicweb.com/stthomasannarbor/files/Confirmation/conf_devotion_ideas.pdf]

References

* [http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/three.htm Catholic tradition]
* [http://www.fatima.org/essentials/requests/3hailmaryleaf.asp Fatima Network]
* [http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/3hailmarys.htm EWTN on the Efficacious Novena of the Three Hail Marys]
* [http://www.stmartha.org/Prayers.htm St. Martha Catholic Church of the Pallotine Fathers]