The Angelus
V.: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R.: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
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.​​​
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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.​
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About the prayer:
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ETYMOLOGY​
Angelus is derived from the latin incept Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ (The Angel of God declared unto Mary). This wonderful prayer evolved from a recitation of three Hail Mary’s following an evening bell around the 12th century to its present form (with morning and midday recitations) in the 16th century.​
When prayed in a group setting a leader recites the verses and everyone recites both the responses and the Hail Mary’s in between each verse.​
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HISTORY
The origins of the Angelus undoubtedly lie with an 11th century custom of reciting three Hail Mary's during the evening bell. Pope Gregory IX (d 1241) ordered a bell to be rung in the evening to remind people to pray for the Crusades. In 1269 St. Bonaventure urged the faithful to adopt the custom of the Franciscans of saying three Hail Mary's as the evening bell was rung. Pope John XXII indulgenced this practice in 1318 and then again in 1327. The custom of reciting it in the morning apparently grew from the monastic custom of saying three Hail Mary's while a bell rang at Prime. The noon time custom apparently arose from the noon time commemoration of the Passion on Fridays. Pope Callistus III (1455-1458) commended the practice as a prayer for protection against the Turkish invasions of his time. By the sixteenth century the form of the prayer was standardized and it has been highly popular since the 17th century. Popes such as Benedict XIV, Leo XIII, Pius XI, and Pius XII have recommended it. During the Easter Season, the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli, a practice first instituted in 1743.​
Modern Usage​
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In most Franciscan and contemplative monasteries, the Angelus continues to be prayed three times a day.
In Italy since Pope John XXIII, every Sunday at noon the pope has an address broadcast by public television. At the end of the address the Pope recites the Angelus.​
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In Germany, particular dioceses and their radio stations ring the Angelus. In addition, Roman Catholic churches ring the Angelus bell thrice daily.
In Ireland, the Angelus is broadcast every night before the main evening news at 6:00 pm.​
The Angelus is broadcast daily on radio in the city of Monterrey, Mexico at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm.
In the Philippines, radio and television stations run by the Catholic Church and some religious orders broadcast the Angelus at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm. The devotion is also broadcast over the public address system at noon and 6:00 pm in some shopping malls, and in many Catholic educational institutions mostly at noon on schooldays (some only ring bells at 6 p.m.).​
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It is common practice that during the recital of the Angelus prayer, for the lines "And the Word was made flesh/And dwelt among us", those reciting the prayer bow or genuflect.​
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