Monday, November 17, 2008

Forgotten Prayers: The Angelus

This prayer used to be generally recited three times a day: 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 (6 in the morning, noon and 6 in the evening, for those of you in Rio Linda). These times were once marked by the Angelus Bell. Church bells are increasingly rare nowadays, and even suppressed in some parts of the country; as for the prayer, I can testify that I went through twelve years of Catholic school without ever once reciting the Angelus.

V. The Angel of the Lord declared to 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 unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

V. And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

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.

Here it is in Latin:

V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ:
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.

V. Ecce Ancilla Domini:
R. Fiat mihi secundum Verbum tuum.

Ave Maria...

V. Et Verbum caro factum est:
R. Et habitavit in nobis.

Ave Maria...

V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix:
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Oremus:

Gratiam tuam quæsumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut qui, angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui Incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.

Amen.

3 comments:

  1. When I was growing up, the church bells at Shrine of the Little Flower rand at 12 noon and 6 PM for the Angelus.

    Of course, I never knew they did so for the Angelus; we never said it either. :-(

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  2. Cygnus, at least some of our local boys here are learning it: the director of the boy's Chancel Choir here stops rehearsal at 6:00 for the Angelus.

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  3. It was recited until Vatican II, in Brooklyn, NY:

    The Bells rang at 6AM, Noon and 6PM in my neck of Brooklyn and disappeared after Vatican II.

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