Wednesday 30 April 2014

The Angelus Prayer

 Bells rung in the Church are meant to be calls to prayer. That is why we ring the Church bell before weekend masses. It will ring three times on other days at 6am, noon and 6pm. That is traditionally meant to accompany the prayer of the Angelus.
The Angelus is a wonderful prayer that brings to mind the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with the news that she is to be the mother Jesus. Mary calls herself the handmaid, the servant, of the Lord, in the Angelus (Luke 1:38). She expressed most famously of the joy of God working through her in the canticle of Magnificat, "My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior"
The Angelus pays tribute to a crucial aspect of Mary’s role in the Incarnation, when it quotes from Luke’s Gospel “be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). This event could not have happened without her consent which was saying “yes” to God in allowing herself to become His mother, she showed us the ultimate example of trust in God! Many Churches have stated ringing again the Angelus Bell though it is a beautiful prayer one can pause to say in the midst of an activity. The prayer is said as follows:

(V-Verse, R-Response – when praying in group)

ANGELUS
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace… our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.