The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
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.
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 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.
And the Word was made Flesh:
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.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Reflect
This prayer puts us right in the midst of the greatest moment of history: when the Word became flesh. When we pray the Angelus, we remember when Gabriel the archangel appeared to Mary and proposed the Mystery of the Incarnation, God becoming man through her.
The Angelus is formatted to be said in community (although you can pray it on your own, which is what I do 90% of the time). It follows a back-and-forth structure, with the leader praying the first lines of each section and the rest praying the second lines. Everyone prays each Hail Mary and the closing prayer in unison. If you are praying it on your own, all the parts are yours! The Angelus is typically prayed at noon every day, although many also pray it at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
What I love about the Angelus prayer is how it highlights Mary's active participation in our salvation. God didn't send the angel Gabriel to say, "Listen, Mary, here's the plan. God's going to save the world this way and you have to play this role whether you like it or not." Our good God doesn't pursue our hearts in that fashion, does He? Instead, He proposes. He invites. He offers. The angel of the Lord declared God's plan and desire to Mary and answered her questions. Then, he waits for her response. Nothing is forced upon Mary, but in her pure love for God, she agrees: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word."
Because of Mary's fiat, her "yes" to God's plan, everything changed. When we pray the Angelus, we recall and revere this great moment. Through one strong, humble, brave, virtuous, trusting, and faithful woman, God saved us. We take pause in the middle of our day, every day, to pray this prayer and to remind ourselves that throughout our daily lives, God continues to save us.
Act
What could God do through your "yes" to His plan for your life? Today, let's try to be strong, humble, brave, and trusting like Mary. Identify one thing, big or small, the Lord is asking of you, and do it with joy through the intercession of our Blessed Mother.
Let Us Pray
God, I am your handmaid. Be it done unto me according to Your word.
Prayer Pledge 2018: The Angelus #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She works from home as an editor and social media manager while raising her children and laughing with her husband. You can find out more about her here.
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