Roman Catholics are very familiar with the Hail Mary prayer and the Rosary has become one of the most defining Catholic devotions. If somebody mentions the Hail Mary prayer, it is likely they are referring to the Roman Catholic tradition.
However, Roman Catholics are not the only ones who pray the Hail Mary.
Byzantine Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians similarly pray a version of the Hail Mary in the liturgy and in personal devotion.
Hail, O Theotokos
First of all, it should be noted that the Hail Mary has technically been around since Luke wrote his Gospel, and even before that -- since Gabriel and Elizabeth said the words that Luke recorded.
In the Gospel of Luke, we find the two principal verses that make up the frequently used “Hail Mary” prayer. The first part of the prayer is derived from the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel greeted Mary by saying, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28)
The next part of the prayer is taken from the Visitation, when Elizabeth greeted Mary with the words, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42)
In the centuries following, the Church combined those two verses and occasionally used them in the liturgy. It is believed that St. Gregory the Great used that first part of the Hail Mary in the 6th century during Advent.
The developed prayer
For Christians in the East, the Scripture verses developed into the following formulation:
Hail, O Mother of God (Theotokos), Virgin Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb, for Thou hast borne Christ, the Savior of our Souls!
In the West, the Hail Mary developed differently and was not solidified in its current form until the 16th century.
While Eastern Catholics did not create a specific Rosary to pray the Hail Mary, it still remains a part of liturgical prayer and private devotion.
East and West are united in praising the Virgin Mary by using words used in the Bible.
