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.

R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.

    Hail Mary, full of grace… our death. Amen

V. And the Word was made Flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace… our death. Amen

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. 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.

(Note: In the season of Easter, the Regina Coeli prayer is said instead. More on Regina Coeli next week…)

A word of thanks should be accorded to former parishioner Datuk George Joseph who saw the need to repair and restore the bell. He raised about RM25,000.00 in donations. Another to Mrs. Neoh in Mirian who donated RM5,000.00. God Bless!