The Angelus is a prayer honoring the Incarnation, the moment the Son of God became man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. It is traditionally prayed three times a day, at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., often at the ringing of church bells.
During the Easter season, the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli.
The Angelus
V. = Verse (said by the leader) · R. = Response (said by everyone)
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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. 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.
Pray the full Hail Mary after each of the first three verses.
How to Pray It
- At the words "And the Word was made flesh," it is customary to bow or genuflect, honoring the moment God became man.
- Many people add three Glory Bes at the end.
- You can pray it alone or with others, at the traditional hours or whenever you can.
What It Means
The Angelus retells the Annunciation in three short verses:
- The angel's message: God invites Mary to become the Mother of His Son.
- Mary's "yes": she gives herself completely to God's plan.
- The Incarnation: the Son of God becomes man and lives among us (John 1:14).
The closing prayer connects the beginning of Jesus' life to its end: the One announced by the angel would save us by His Cross and Resurrection.
Pausing three times a day for the Angelus is a way of sanctifying the day, turning morning, midday, and evening back toward God.
The Angelus in the Philippines
In the Philippines, the evening Angelus at 6 p.m. is known as the Orasyon. For generations, families stopped what they were doing when the church bells rang, prayed together, and children then asked the blessing of their elders with the mano po. Many parishes and radio stations still mark the Angelus every day.
Where It Comes From
The Angelus developed gradually during the Middle Ages, from the custom of praying Hail Marys when the church bell rang in the evening. Over time, the morning and noon bells were added, and by the 16th century the prayer had taken the form we know today.
In Latin
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
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 nostrae. Amen.
V. Ecce ancilla Domini.
R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
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 nostrae. Amen.
V. Et Verbum caro factum est.
R. Et habitavit in nobis.
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 nostrae. Amen.
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Oremus.
Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, 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.
Related
The Angelus reflects on the same event as the first Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary: the Annunciation.