Traditional Catholic prayer

The Angelus

A prayer on the Incarnation, traditionally prayed morning, noon, and evening at the sound of the bell.

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. (Hail Mary…)
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.

Prayed at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. (replaced by the Regina Caeli in Eastertide).

Where it comes from

A commemoration of the Incarnation prayed at six, noon and six, at the ringing of a bell — a monastic habit that spread to whole towns by the sixteenth century. In Eastertide the Regina Caeli replaces it.

Frequently asked

Why three times a day?

It marks the day the way the Hours do, and puts the Incarnation at the start, the middle and the end of the working day.

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