The Angelus is a famous Catholic devotional prayer which can be recited three times a day: at sunrise, noon and sunset. With this prayer we know the message that the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary, making her the Holy Mother of Jesus according to God’s Divine Plan.
This singular prayer makes it unique and surprising because we say it at specific times of the day, and because we bring Christ to our mind and heart throughout the day.
Prayer
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among 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
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done to me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among 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
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among 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
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Origin
It is believed that it was written by Pope Urban II, although others attribute it to Pope John XXII. Also, the custom of reciting it 3 times a day was given by the French King Louis XI in 1472. However, it can be prayed every day of the year, except at Easter time, when it is replaced by the Regina Coeli.
Promises
It will help us to lighten the burden of the problems we have in our life, whether personal or work. It will also give us strength and keep us away from temptations, blessing us and our family.
The Angelus: A Call to Remember the Incarnation
The Angelus of the Virgin Mary reminds us of the exact moment of the Incarnation and the Annunciation when the Blessed Mother received from the Angel Gabriel, who told her that she had been blessed and chosen by God to be the mother of His only son, Jesus.
This is one of the first events that marks the beginning of the Creator’s plan, and with the passage of time began to be commemorated through the recitation of three Hail Marys, but, from the sixteenth century is when texts are added to complete the prayer.
The first commemorations were held in towns or cities three times a day, at dawn (6:00am), at noon (12:00pm) and at dusk (6:00pm). Each of these times was accompanied by the sound of the bell located at the top of the local church or cathedral. First three slow chimes were rung before each Hail Mary and then nine chimes were rung a little faster than the previous three. This made every faithful Christian interrupt whatever activity he/she was doing, whether at home, at work, in the field, etc., to respectfully greet the Virgin Mary through the Angelus prayer.
Likewise, this prayer became a tradition among the pontiffs and was initiated by Pope John XXIII, who honored Mary by reciting this prayer every Sunday and feast day in St. Peter’s Square before every blessing, a tradition that is carried out to this day.
The Angelus will only be replaced by the catholic prayers of the Regina Coeli in Holy Week, during Easter, since with this prayer we remember the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Among the benefits of praying the Angelus we can find one of the most important, which is to consecrate the whole day to God and Our Lady, as we already know, if we consecrate our life to the Lord nothing will be lacking.
Remember not only to recite the Angelus prayer at 12 o’clock, but also at 6 o’clock in the morning and at 6 o’clock in the evening.
We share with you the Prayer of the Angelus in Spanish.
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More information about this prayer:
The Angelus prayer of the Virgin Mary reminds us of the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the Mother of the Son of God. Although it is known as the Angelus prayer at 12 o’clock, it is actually prayed 3 times a day, in the morning, afternoon and evening. Among the benefits of praying the Angelus is to consecrate our daily life to the Holy Mother, as she is our guide and protector.
It is also known as the Angelus prayer for children, because it is simple to recite, but, above all, it carries the message of the beginning of God’s Plan. For this reason, we recommend looking for the formats of the Angelus prayer to print to have it hanging inside the home.
