XVII. Ave, Maria (De sancta Maria)
Mary's Triumph over the Serpent
The response greets Mary as the life-giver who crushed the serpent, reversing Eve's pride.
Response: Hail, Mary, giver of life, who by restoring salvation troubled death and crushed the serpent, toward whom Eve raised herself with head held high, puffed up with pride.✦ You trampled this one, when you bore the Son of God from heaven.✦
The Spirit's Inspiration
A brief acclamation that the Spirit of God overshadowed Mary, echoing the Annunciation.
Whom the Spirit of God inspired.✦
Greeting to the Loving Mother
A tender verse hailing the sweetest mother who bore the child sent from heaven into the world.
Verse: O sweetest and most loving mother, hail, who brought forth your child, sent from heaven, to the world.✦
The Spirit's Inspiration Repeated
A repeated acclamation that the Spirit of God inspired Mary, reinforcing the Annunciation theme.
Whom the Spirit of God inspired.✦
Trinitarian Doxology
A short glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit's Inspiration Concluded
A final acclamation that the Spirit of God inspired Mary, closing the sequence of Annunciation refrains.
Whom the Spirit of God inspired.✦
Read the original Latin
Responsum: Ave Maria, o auctrix vite, reedificando salutem que mortem conturbasti et serpentem contrivisti, ad quem se Eva erexit erecta cervice cum sufflatu superbie. Hunc conculcasti, dum de celo filium dei genuisti. Quem inspiravit spiritus dei. Versus: O dulcissima atque amantissima mater, salve, que natum tuum de celo missum mundo edidisti. Quem inspiravit spiritus dei. Gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto. Quem inspiravit spiritus dei.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.3.15 — I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
- ↩Gen.3.15 — I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
- ↩Luke.1.35 — And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the one to be born will be called Son of God."
- ↩Luke.1.26-Luke.1.38 — In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee whose name was Nazareth, Luke.1.27 — to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. Luke.1.28 — And coming to her, he said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.' Luke.1.29 — But she was troubled at his message, and she kept pondering what sort of greeting this might be. Luke.1.30 — And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Luke.1.31 — And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Luke.1.32 — He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. Luke.1.33 — And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke.1.34 — But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not known a man?" Luke.1.35 — And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the one to be born will be called Son of God." Luke.1.36 — And behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman—she too has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. Luke.1.37 — For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke.1.38 — And Mary said, 'Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her.
- ↩Luke.1.35 — And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the one to be born will be called Son of God."
- ↩Luke.1.35 — And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the one to be born will be called Son of God."
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