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Imagine being promised that at the hour of your death, the Blessed Virgin Mary herself would appear to you in such radiant beauty that you would already begin to taste the joys of Paradise. This is exactly what Our Lady promised to those who faithfully pray the Hail Mary of Gold — a short but powerful Marian prayer with a remarkable origin.
The Revelation of the Hail Mary of Gold
The story of this prayer is recorded in The Revelations of St. Gertrude, Book III, Chapter 18:
One day, as St. Gertrude was at prayer, the Mother of God appeared to her in the presence of the ever-adorable Trinity. Our Lady appeared under the form of a white lily with three leaves—one standing upright, and the other two bent down.
Through this vision, St. Gertrude understood why the Blessed Mother is called the “White Lily of the Trinity.”
Mary contains within herself, with more fullness and perfection than any other creature, the virtues of the Most Holy Trinity—virtues she has never sullied by the slightest stain of sin.
The upright leaf represented the omnipotence of God the Father, while the two leaves bent down represented the wisdom of the Son and the love of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lady then made known to St. Gertrude that if anyone salutes her devoutly as the “White Lily of the Trinity” and the “Brilliant Rose of Heaven,” she will show how she prevails by the omnipotence of the Father, how skillful she is in procuring the salvation of souls by the wisdom of the Son, and with what exceeding love her heart is filled by the charity of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lady’s Promise
To this revelation, the Blessed Virgin added a beautiful promise:
“At the hour when the soul which has thus greeted me quits the body, I will appear to them in such splendid beauty that they will taste, to their great consolation, something of the joys of Paradise.”
The Hail Mary of Gold
What a consoling promise! Our Lady assures us that if we faithfully honor her with this prayer, she will be present to us at the most important moment of our lives—the hour of our death—appearing in such glory that we will already begin to experience the joys of Heaven.
From the time of this revelation, St. Gertrude frequently saluted the Blessed Virgin with this prayer, and it has been treasured by the faithful ever since.
How to Pray This Devotion
We invite you to join us now in praying the Hail Mary of Gold prayer. As you pray, meditate on the beautiful imagery of the prayer. Consider Mary as the White Lily—pure and unstained, reflecting the glory of the Trinity. Consider her as the Brilliant Rose—the delight of Heaven, chosen by God to be the Mother of His Son. And ask her to nourish your soul with divine grace, just as she nourished the infant Jesus with her own milk.
Let us pray …
Hail Mary, White Lily of the Glorious and always-serene Trinity. Hail, Brilliant Rose of the Garden of heavenly delights; O you, by whom God wanted to be born, and by whose milk the King of Heaven wanted to be nourished! Nourish our souls with effusions of divine grace. Amen.
This prayer can be prayed at any time, but it is especially fitting to include it in your daily prayers. You might pray it in the morning as you begin your day, in the evening before sleep, or whenever you wish to honor Our Lady and seek her maternal protection.
Above all, pray with confidence in Our Lady’s promise. She who was faithful to St. Gertrude will be faithful to you. At the hour of your death, she will not forget those who have faithfully greeted her with this beautiful salutation.
Holy Mary, White Lily of the Trinity, pray for us!
The Hail Mary of Gold Prayer
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