The Devotion of the Three Hail Marys Requested by Our Lady

[Tony Rosa]

While Saint Mechtilde was praying to the glorious Virgin Mary to deign to assist her with her presence at the hour of her death, the Holy Virgin replied: “I promise you this; but for this purpose, you shall recite three Hail Marys every day.

With the first, you will turn to God the Father, who in His supreme power exalted my soul, establishing me as the highest after God in heaven and on earth; and you will ask Him that I may be present at the hour of your death to comfort you and drive far from you every enemy power.

With the second Hail Mary, you will turn to the Son of God, who in His inscrutable wisdom endowed me with such fullness of knowledge and understanding that I enjoy the Most Holy Trinity with a knowledge greater than that of all the saints.

You will also ask Him that, by that splendor through which I became a sun so radiant as to illuminate the whole of heaven, I may fill your soul, at the hour of your death, with the light of faith and knowledge, so that you may be free from all ignorance and error.

With the third, you will turn to the Holy Spirit, who, flooding me with His love, gave me such an abundance of sweetness, goodness, and tenderness that God alone possesses more than I; and you will ask Him that I may be present at the hour of your death to pour into your soul the sweetness of divine love. Thus you will be able to triumph over the pains and bitterness of death, so that you will see them changed into sweetness and joy.”

The Mother of God has undertaken to grant three specific helps at the moment of death, assuring a peaceful and blessed passage into eternal life.

The first help consists in Mary’s direct and powerful assistance at the moment of death: she will be present in a perceptible way to give comfort and to drive away every harmful and diabolical force.

The second help is a special illumination of the soul to safeguard the integrity of faith.

The third help consists in the softening of the bitterness of death through the outpouring of the sweetness of divine love, which will prevail over all things and transform the bitterness of death into a most gentle reality through the power of God’s love.

“The Three Hail Marys” with the words and intentions given by Our Lady to Saint Mechtilde

Eternal Divine Father, who in Your supreme power exalted the soul of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, establishing her as the highest after God in heaven and on earth, I ask You that the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of God, be present at the hour of my death to comfort me and drive far from me every enemy power.

Hail Mary.

Eternal Divine Son, who in Your inscrutable wisdom endowed the Most Blessed Virgin Mary with such fullness of knowledge and understanding that she enjoys the Most Holy Trinity with a knowledge greater than that of all the saints, I ask You that by that splendor through which she became a sun so radiant as to illuminate the whole of heaven, Your Most Holy Virgin Mother may fill my soul, at the hour of my death, with the light of faith and knowledge, so that I may be free from all ignorance and error.

Hail Mary.

Eternal Divine Spirit, who flooded the Most Blessed Virgin Mary with Your love and gave her such an abundance of sweetness, goodness, and tenderness that God alone possesses more than she, I ask You that the Most Holy Virgin, Your Spouse, be present at the hour of my death to pour into my soul the sweetness of divine love. Thus I may triumph over the pains and bitterness of death, so that I may see them changed into sweetness and joy.

Hail Mary.

This devotion has been promoted by many saints, such as St. Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, St. John Bosco, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina.