Ave, Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus...

Heard one of those sermons a little while ago that calls the Blessed Virgin Mary an average or typical young lady.

She was more than that, as we know; and to remind ourselves of that, we just have to say the Hail, Mary clause by clause and think about what it is telling us.

Some padres need to stop and think and to be more careful in speaking of the Mother of God.

We can also go to the "Mary Prayer Page" (click on this post's title) and find many, many prayers, litanies and novenas about the Blessed Mother.

"...our life, our sweetness and our hope..."

(The painting above is Botticelli's "Madonna of the Magnificat," 1480-1481.)