Where did the Hail Mary come from?

Where did the Hail Mary come from?

The prayer of the Hail Mary is rooted in Scripture but is also a response of the Church to the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption, and the role of Our Lord’s Blessed Mother in it (cf. John 2:3).

In Luke 1:28, St. Gabriel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

In Luke 1:42, St. Elizabeth says these words to Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”