Praying the Angelus

Do you pray the Angelus? I have a small print of this same painting at my desk, honoring the time when people would actually stop their work and pray when they heard the Angelus bells playing from a distant church at 6:00 AM, noon, and 6:00 PM. I also have it to remind me to say the same prayer at least at noon. It's becoming a habit no matter where I am. I remember when my wife and I used to go to 12:10PM mass at St John the Evangelist in downtown Indianapolis. They would start at noon with the Angelus and most people had the versicle and response words memorized. To me there's something comforting about reciting this short prayer, especially at church with a group.

The name of the prayer comes from the beginning of the prayer in Latin "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ ("... the Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary ...") and the prayer commemorates the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus. The Angelus can be traced back to the 11th Century and it evolved from the times and prayers said in monasteries.  The Angelus bell is a triple stroke repeated three times, with a pause between each set of three (a total of nine strokes).

The Angelus

℣. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
℟. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou amongst 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.

℣. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
℟. Be it done unto me according to thy word.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou amongst 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.

℣. And the Word was made flesh.
℟. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou amongst 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.

℣. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
℟. That we might be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray,
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was known by the message of an angel, so by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
℟. Amen.

Image: L'Angelus, 1857-1859, by Jean-Francois Mille, Reunion des musées nationaux