When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
Lk 1:39-45
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
7th Misa de Gallo
There was a Protestant boy studying in a catholic school. One day his class was taught the “Hail Mary” and was moved by the words of the prayer. The boy upon sharing it with his mother was told to stop admiring the Virgin Mary and as Protestants, to believe only what is in the bible and nothing else.
However one day he heard the second part of the “Hail Mary” in the bible passage of the visitation. Previous to this he also had discovered the first part of the “Hail Mary” in the bible passage of the anunciation. And from then onwards in secret, he zealously studied not only the bible but also the catholic catechism. Soon as a young man he decided to be baptized a catholic. To cut the story short, he entered the seminary and soon was ordained a priest.
The Hail Mary is indeed a beautiful prayer. Its words are from the encounters with Mary by the angel Gabriel and her cousin Elizabeth.