Hail Mary devotional prayers including the Hail Mary. Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheranism, believed that Mary should be held in highest reverence. Although he did not agree with Mary's veneration, he did advocate the use of the first half of the Hail Mary (that is, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.") as a sign of reverence for and devotion to the Virgin. Only after his death was the second part ("Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners now and at the
Prayer in the Catholic Church Prayer in the Catholic Church In the Catholic Church, prayer is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It is an act of the moral virtue of religion, which Catholic theologians identify as a part of the cardinal virtue of justice. Prayer may be expressed vocally or mentally. Vocal prayer may be spoken or sung. Mental prayer can be either meditation or contemplation. The basic forms of prayer are praise, petition (supplication), intercession, and thanksgiving. Roman Catholic teachings on the subject of prayer are contained in the "Catechism", where quoting