Luke 1:28 Ave Maria

My first "job" as a trumpet player that earned money was the Wednesday Night Service preceding the first Sunday in Advent in a big Lutheran Church in Michigan.  I was to play a "fanfare" before the service  - the proverbial Gabriel Come blow your Horn from the Bible.  It paid $5.00 and I was thrilled.  I was also 12 so a dime on the street thrilled me.

Of course the Ave Maria we recited that night was in German as we didn't dare do a "Hail Mary full of grace" in English as that would be too Catholic and an absolute no-no in the Lutheran church.  Later in college in theology classes and following in performances, I got into it in Latin and that to me is ideal.  Here are the words of course - just read them in your mind and it ceases to be something often just mumbled or taken for granted.  Listen further on down to a gorgeous setting of the words by John Rutter.  Welcome to Advent.

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Tui, Jesus
Sancta Maria
Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae
Amen.