11.21.23 -Topic Night - Women in Bible
- tmaley
- Nov 28, 2023
- 18 min read
Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM
This meeting-class is FREE.
House rules/notes…
Our meeting/classes are In-Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ (usually held downstairs in Room 5), or ONLINE via Zoom (see #2).
To sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive the Meeting Recaps, go to www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy and join us! The Zoom Logon is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952.
After each meeting, I send out Meeting Recaps of what we discussed. These recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted before the next class on the Website – https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website. Taylor will notify everyone and provide a link.
Questions highly encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the zoom chatbox during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me directly at ron@hallagan.net afterwards.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and between Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!
No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith.
Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week? Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg at https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/.
“The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Catholic Catacombs Website: https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website
Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.
Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 10-15 min Catholic topic, 40-45 min main topic.
Week 1: Gospel Week:
Week 2: Bible Week (Gen to Rev): We are in JOSHUA & JUDGES.
Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven x 3) Comparative Religions
4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 6) Major Heresies and Church Councils
Week 4: Member Questions:
What is glory? What is identity? What does it mean to “put on Christ”?
Can we do a Christian Meditation one evening?
Can you provide a brief review of the origin/meaning of the (12) statements in the Creed?
Angels – who are they, what do they do? Do we really have guardian angels? What about devils/demons?
Please explain exorcisms. Do they happen, are they real?
What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?
What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?
Miracles since the NT
Why is it that we must ask God for forgiveness before receiving it, but God expects us to grant forgiveness to everyone else without their asking?
What’s the difference between Charity and Love? What are the highest forms of charity?
How can I get more excited by the Mass?
Major holy days in the Liturgy of the Church: Advent: Dec 3 to Dec 24
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Dec 8
Opening Prayer
Dear Lord
Thank you for your promise that where two or three of us are gathered in your name, You are there.
Here we are, Lord.
We welcome your guidance as we continue our study of the most influential women in the Bible.
By better understanding their role in Salvation History,
And as You taught us to pray:
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us all.
Amen.
Today
Gospel reading – Solemnity of Christ the King, last Sunday the Liturgical Year
Women in the Bible – Rebekah, Leah, Rachel
Quote of the Week:
“No act of virtue can be great if it does not follow as an advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much time you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sign continually, if you are not doing good to others, you have done nothing great.” – St. John Chrysostom
We will review a different apologetics or exegesis term each week...
Apologetics and Exegesis Terms
Apologetics – to defend a belief.
Catholic Apologetics– to defend the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, and Scripture.
Exegesis – the study and interpretation of Scripture (it’s what we do here every week; you are all exegetes).
Eschatology (Greek, eschaton=last/end): the study of the End Times – the Second Coming of Christ (also called
Parousia), Judgement Day, Heaven and Hell.
Bible = The OT = The Torah (Pentateuch, Books of Moses), the Prophets, the Writings (Wisdom, Novellas)
The NT = The Gospels and the Epistles (Epistles: New Test Letters (Paul), Catholic Letters, and Revelation).
The Bible is not the “Word of God,” nor does it claim to be. From the very beginning to the very end, the Bible leads us to Jesus Christ, the 2nd Person of the Trinity, who came to give us our eternal freedom through forgiveness and love, if we will accept it. Thus, Jesus is the “Word of God.” When asked when the Kingdom of Heaven was coming, Jesus said it was already in their presence. Jesus was/is the Kingdom, come down to us. The doorway into the Kingdom was Him, which He said is love.
Best Bibles – The Didache Bible, Ignatius Edition; Ignatius RSV 2nd Catholic edition; Augustine Bible; Douay Rheims (Jerome). Starters: Bible Basics for Catholics-Ave Maria press.
Church – Greek kyriakon house of the Lord: building for Christian worship; the whole body of Christian believers.
Ark of the Covenant: a) The golden chest holding the 10 Commandments; b) Mary’s womb holding the Word of God
Tabernacle - the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites in the wilderness during Exodus the from Egypt and then in the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon (and again later by Herod). Latin tabernaculum – tent; temporary dwelling place.
Temple – Latin templum - space set aside for sacrifice/worship; replaced the Tabernacle; the Temple in Jerusalem.
Synagogue – Jewish house of worship often w/facilities for religious instruction. Greek synagogue: assembly/gathering.
Church Authority – 1) The Church is the only authority given by Jesus Christ to interpret the Word of God – "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven (Mt 18:18-20).” Otherwise, there could be a million different interpretations for every passage in the Bible, resulting in division vs unity (which is why there are 10,000 different Protestant churches and 17+ Eastern Orthodox churches). 2) Catholic Church teachings are nothing more than interpretations of what has already been revealed by God, either through Scripture or handed on from Apostolic Tradition. This body of interpretation is called the “Magisterium” and it is never superior to the Word of God, but its servant. 3) The Church believes that Divine Revelation ended with the Apostles. Therefore, it cannot make up anything new but only guards and teaches what it has (CCC#86, 890).
Doctrine refers to all of the official teachings of the Church. They fall into three categories:
Those that the Church teaches authoritatively but not infallibly. Elements within these can change.
Those which the Church teaches infallibly.
Dogma: Those teachings which the Church has infallibly taught to be divinely revealed.
“Theological Opinions” are not doctrine but are teachings that express a pope’s views in a subject, i.e., Papal Encyclicals.
Heresy is the rejection of dogma. Rejection of other doctrine may be very sinful, but it does not rise to the level of heresy.
Hypocrite – comes from the Greek word “actor” and refers to people who pretend to be something they are not, the way an actor pretends to be Hamlet or the cowardly lion. St. James calls it a fallen, divided mind (xxxx). Christ described the religious hypocrites of his day as “blind guides,” “serpents” (presumably like the one in the Garden of Eden), “a brood of vipers,” and “whited sepulchers full of dead men’s bones.” I need not add to this.
Epiphany – Epiphany means a sudden appearance or manifestation from above. In Christianity, it refers to the manifestation of Jesus Christ being the Savior of the World to the gentiles (Magi) 12 days after Christmas. Often applies to knowledge.
Theophany means the appearance of God, such as Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai, or at the Transfiguration. Note “phany” in both words, from the Greek phainein = to appear. [Theo=God + phany=appear]
Eucharist –the Lord’s Supper. The bread & wine become Jesus’ body/blood. From Greek eucharistia = thanksgiving.
Mass – the celebration of the Last Supper/Eucharist. “Mass” is from the Latin missa meaning “to send (out).”
Evangelize – to make the Kingdom of God present in our world by bringing the love and good news of Jesus Christ to the world.
Forgiveness – of others: letting go of past harm done to us by others out of love (w/o resentment!). Forgiveness is more for our benefit than for the ones we forgive. Forgiveness from God requires asking and it presumes repentance, which presumes a change in behavior.
Mercy – compassion in our hearts for another person’s misery or misfortunes and thus deciding to withhold harsh treatment or judgment that is due them. In fact, the more it is justified, the greater the mercy, which resembles God’s mercy towards mankind.
God as Father/He/Him – scriptural tradition (God is not a gender); God does set the gold standard for fatherhood.
Man – generic for mankind, humanity.
Deism – belief in a supreme being/creator who does not intervene in the universe, or who is indifferent to it.
Theism – belief in the existence of God or gods, especially the believe in one God who is creator of the universe and is actively engaged in some way, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relationship with his creatures.
Atheism – belief that gods of any kind do not exist.
Agnosticism – belief that God may or may not exist but we cannot know.
Love – the highest love (God’s love) is often called “agape,” which is sacrificial love – a giving love, not a taking love. We are called to love others, which is not a feeling but an act of the will, where we “want the good of others,” always (i.e., pray for them vs judging them). Finally, love is a verb/action. In learning how to love, the old saying, “fake it till you make it,” works very well. God will find you!
Preternatural – means “outside the natural”; refers to the preternatural state of grace Adam & Eve were in before the Fall.
The “World” – as used in the Bible, this term pertains to the material world or our temporary, material lives. The word “secular” means the same thing (Latin seaecularis - worldly/temporal). It is often used with a negative connotation, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world/ourselves over God.”
“A lie travels around the globe while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” – Mark Twain
Gospel Reading for this Sunday (11/26): The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – also called The Solemnity of Christ the King. Matthew 25:31-46
Q: Why did the Church create the Solemnity of Christ the King in 1925?
As waves of nationalism and secularism were on the rise across the globe, Pope Pius XI instituted the Solemnity of Christ the King in 1925 as a reminder that Christ reigns above all earthly rulers. While temporal powers will fade away, Christ’s reign and his kingdom remain eternal. This day reminds believers who is the real King, not only in this life but in the next.
“The kingdoms of this world at too often sustained by rivalries, arrogance, and oppression. The reign of Christ is a “kingdom of justice, love and peace.”
For this reason, the Gospel reading – sometimes called the Parable of the Sheep and Goats – is used, where Jesus is ruling over humanity’s judgment day.
Context: Jesus’ final teachings as he approaches and enters Jerusalem for the last time are called the “Eschatological Discourse” – the Second Coming of Christ, Judgment Day. If you recall, the last two Sunday readings had to do with being ready for the Lord at all times, for the arrival of Jesus’ Second Coming or our own death, as these will come unexpectedly. Today’s reading is the culmination of the Eschatological Discourse with his discussions about the Last Judgment when the Son of Man judges all the people of every nation on the earth. Christian tradition calls it the “Last Judgment” to distinguish it from the “Particular Judgment,” which everyone undergoes immediately after death.
Q: What is the difference between our Particular Judgment and the Last Judgment?
The particular judgment is what happens at a person’s death. God judges the person, who either enters into eternal life – Purgatory/Heaven or Hell.
The final judgment occurs at the end of time when everyone who ever lived is present. The righteous inherit the new Heaven-Earth and the wicked are condemned to Hell.
The first is judgment is “private” and occurs immediately after death. The second is “public” and occurs on the Last Day at the resurrection, at which time we receive our glorified bodies.
The judgments do not change, just the manner in which they are revealed.
The Parable of the Sheep and Goats – Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Q: What is the meaning of his reference to “all nations”?
The words "all nations" suggests that the story is about the last Judgment after the Second Coming (Advent) of Christ (Rev 20:11-15).
Q: What is the point of using sheep and goats in this story?
Sheep and goats were a part of life in those days. Jesus always uses everyday examples in his parables that his audience can immediately relate to. As to the point, sheep follow the shepherd, and goats are stubborn and often will not follow.
Q: What about shepherds separating the sheep from the goats?
And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
It was the practice in the Holy Land (and also in that region of the world today) to keep both sheep and goats in the same flock; however, the shepherd has to separate them at night and take the goats into a warmer enclosure since their coats are not sufficiently heavy to keep them warm.
Q: Who are the sheep, and who are the goats?
The sheep are those who demonstrate their love for Christ by extending that love to those who are less fortunate. The goats are those who are indifferent to the suffering of others (like the man who buries his one talent and does nothing with it).
The sheep are placed on the King's right "the place of honor" and the goats on the left. The sheep inherit eternal life in the kingdom, while the goats are sent into eternal punishment.
Q: What is Jesus' message concerning our relationship with Him?
The Apostle John speaks to this:
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.– 1 John 4:20
Q: What examples does Jesus give for demonstrating one’s love?
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.
Q: What is the difference between the sins of the Old Covenant and the sins of the New Covenant?
The OT are mostly sins of commission. The NT are mostly about what we should do – these are sins of omission.
When the people in the parable exclaim that they don’t recall him being in these conditions nor their helping him, he tells them that to love them is to love him! And as John said, if we don’t do these things, then we don’t love God.
Jesus lists six unfortunate conditions and six acts of compassion in response to those conditions:
hungry - gave food
thirsty - gave drink
stranger - welcomed
naked - clothed
ill - cared for
in prison - visited
Jesus equates these acts of compassion with acts of love that extend to Himself personally, and to the withholding of love from the afflicted as withholding love from Him.
Remember, Jesus teaches that our acts of love are as much for our spiritual development as for the people we are trying to help. Unless we make an effort at “inconvenient compassion,” we will never improve.
BTW, Church tradition recognizes 7 Corporal Works of Mercy and 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy.
The Seven Corporate (physical) Works of Mercy
feed the hungry
giving drink to the thirsty
clothing the naked
sheltering the homeless
visiting the imprisoned
visiting the sick
burying the dead
The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy
admonishing the sinner (with love)
instructing the ignorant
counseling the doubtful
bearing wrongs patiently
forgiving injuries
comforting the sorrowful
praying for the living and the dead
Plain and simple, if we do not work at some of these things, Jesus says he will not recognize us when it is our turn.
Ignorance – those who are uninformed
When we are instructed to teach those who are uninformed, there should be no ill intent or self-righteousness, just true concern for those who would benefit from the knowledge of God.
It is important to be a model of the information you wish to convey, otherwise they will see right through you and you will cause more damage to the word of God than good. Modeling also means never forgetting that we too are ignorant, because there is always something to learn. Once we have this realization, the condescension goes away and we are left with genuine concern for each other. This is how we accomplish the true Spiritual Work of Mercy.
Most Influential Women in the Bible
x Eve, x Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah
Where we left off…
Recall that Abraham sent his most trusted servant back to his homeland to seek a wife for Isaac. He refused to allow him to marry a Canaanite and he did not want to send Isaac himself for fear that he might not return. Isaac must stay and continue to carry on the will of the Lord.
We left off when Abraham’s servant is returning with Isaac’s wife-to-be, Rebekah. As they near Hebron where Abraham lives, the servant and Rebekah see Isaac in the field at a distance. Isaac sees Rebekah as well and comes to her. They immediately fall in love. (Gen 24:67)
Rebekah is barren for a while but finally conceives and bears twins.
There seemed to be a struggle going on in Rebekah’s womb so she decides to ask the Lord what is going on. God tells Rebekah:
“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, will be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other; the elder will serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23)
In other words, the younger will carry on the line of Isaac and Abraham. The oldest (because he was delivered first) is Esau. The younger is Jacob.
Esau’s Birthright
When the two boys grow up, Esau became a skillful hunter and a man of the field, with no interest in God or anything spiritual. Jacob, on the other hand, was more of a quiet, studied man, dwelling in tents. Isaac grew to favor Esau but Rebekah favored Jacob – perhaps because God told her that he was the one to continue the line of Abraham.
One day Esau came back from a hunt and is starving. He asks Jacob for some of the stew he had prepared. Jacob says he will give it to him if he sells him his birthright. Esau recklessly agrees (Gen 25:27-34).
Q: What is a birthright?
It was the right of the firstborn male to have authority over the other children and to receive a double portion of the inheritance.
Esau’s Blessing
Years later, when Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him, he called his older son Esau and said to him:
“My son!”
“Here I am!” Esau replied.
“Now I have grown old. I do not know when I might die. So now take your hunting gear—your quiver and bow—and go out into the open country to hunt some game for me. Then prepare for me a dish in the way I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”
Q: What is this blessing?
Whereas a birthright is more material, the blessing is more spiritual and was highly valued and sought after. Usually given to the eldest child when the father was near the end of his life, it was the father's passing on his formal wishes for good health, wisdom, and prosperity. If there were other children, they might receive blessings as well, but they were much lesser blessings.
Meanwhile, Rebekah had been listening while Isaac was speaking to Esau. So when Esau went out into the open country to hunt some game, she called Jacob and hatched a plan so that Jacob could receive the blessing instead of Esau.
So Rebekah quickly helps prepare Isaac’s favorite meal and instructs Jacob to disguise himself as Esau, lower his voice, and get his father to give him the blessing.
The plan worked.
Q: Was what Rebekah did right? Sometimes God wants us to cooperate with is will, but what do you think?
No. Rebekah and Jacob did not trust that God could solve this problem without their deception and so took matters into their own hands. This was similar to when the barren Sarah decided Abraham should sleep with her servant, Hagar, because she didn’t believe God could give her a child any longer. In both cases, their goals may have been good, but their methods were untrusting of God. In both these cases, their decisions complicated their lives substantially.
Q: What does Sarah and Rebekah’s distrust of God teach us?
That the end does not justify the means. We can’t think that we can lie, cheat, steal, or kill to bring about some greater good. That’s the devil and our egos fooling us.
Of course, we humans have not learned our lesson and have a long history of justifying bad behavior by saying our end goal is worthy. This is false. We can't lie, cheat, steal, or murder our way to heaven, no matter how good our so-called goals were. As Jesus said, those who cheat or steal in small matters, cheat or steal in great matters; he is calling into question honesty of larger goals.
Esau returns
Esau returns from the hunt and is expecting to receive the blessing. He prepares the game he hunted and brings it to his father. Isaac exclaims he already gave him the blessing! Both are shocked and Esau is fiercely (justifiably) angry.
Esau now feels swindled twice: first for his birthright and now for his stolen blessing. Esau is overheard later saying that after his father dies, he is going to kill Jacob. That will fix things!
This gets back to Rebekah and she informs Isaac. What to do?!
Rebekah and Isaac had also worried about Jacob marrying a local Canaanite, just as Abraham had worried about Isaac years before. So now Isaac and Rebekah will solve two problems at once. They will send Jacob back to Rebekah’s homeland to escape his brother’s death threat, and at the same time Jacob can find a proper wife!
Jacob runs away
Jacob heads off to Mesopotamia where Rebekah's brother, Laban, lives. He is following in the same footsteps as Abraham's most trusted servant many years before.
When Jacob arrives, he is warmly welcomed by Laban and family. Laban has 2 daughters, the older is Leah and the younger is Rachel. Leah is very plain looking but Rachel is very beautiful. Jacob and Rachel make eye contact and, of course, fall deeply in love.
Jacob asks Laban for Rachel’s hand in marriage and offers to work in Laban's fields for 7 years. Laban agrees and throws the usual huge 7-day wedding for them but then he deceives Jacob by having Leah disguised herself as Rachel in the consummation tent at the end of the night. Jacob does not realize that it was Leah he slept with until the morning.
Jacob is dumfounded and angry.
Perhaps Laban and Leah’s deception of Jacob is poetic justice for Jacob. Just as Jacob disguised himself as Esau to fool his father and steal his brother’s blessing, this time Leah disguises herself as Rachel to fool Jacob and steal the marriage!
The frustrated Jacob asks Laban, “What have you done to me?!”
Laban explains that in his country, the elder sister must be married first, and he was simply honoring their ways. Jacob replies that he wants to marry Rachel. Laban says fine, but he must work in his fields for an additional 7 years for her.
Jacob has little choice but to agree so Laban has another wedding for him and Rachel, but Jacob must now work for Laban for 14 years.
Leah turns out to be able to bear children right away, but Rachel cannot.
Unhealthy relationships underway
Professor Joan suggests that our fallen tendencies for the sexes are not identical and often tied to our different biological make-up. This is another example of the sexes being equal but not identical.
Both man and woman are equal in the eyes of God, which means equal in dignity and equal in our gifts of intellect, free-will, and immortality, but they are not physically identical. Different physicalities are for different – but complementary – purposes but do not affect our true equality.
Joan goes on to say that Rachel and Leah’s fallen natures come into play in a big way, first with Leah thinking she can win Jacob’s love by giving him as many children as possible, and Rachel becoming sick with envy, hating her sister, and finally saying to Jacob:
“Give me children or I shall die!” (Gen 30:1)
Joan says that both their relationships are unhealthy because they are both seeking fulfillment in their husband rather than God. Our fulfillment, like our very identity, must start and end with the LORD. Only then can we live through – and sometimes even solve – life’s suffering and challenges.
Rachel learned to turn to God over time and 14 years after her marriage, she conceives and bears a son, Joseph.
Conclusion
The women in Scripture so far have shown us great strengths but also great vices, and we can learn from them both. That is why God wants us studying Scripture. God gave us spiritual intellects so that we can travel back in time and learn. As we study the Bible, we should get into the habit of asking ourselves what we can learn vicariously through our spiritual ancestors.
Closing Prayer
Father in Heaven
We thank you for Your presence and assistance as we read about the Matriarchs!
As we read about their weaknesses and see how much they resemble us, may we learn from these like they did.
When we read about their strengths and resilience, may we be able to take those qualities unto ourselves.
We ask your blessings upon each of us and our families as we return to our daily lives.
And we pray for Mary’s intercession in the difficulties and conflicts all around the world
for justice, peace, and the protection of life everywhere.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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