ANGELUS DÓMINI | THE ANGELUS
FOCUS ON THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST IN THE WOMB OF THE VIRGIN MARY
About This Prayer
The Angelus commemorates the Incarnation of Christ, recalling the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary. It is traditionally prayed three times daily, at 6 AM, noon, and 6 PM, when the Angelus bell rings. This devotion dates to the 13th century and is prayed throughout the year except during the Easter season, when the Regina Caeli is prayed instead.
Pray Three Times Daily Throughout the Year Except Easter Time
ANGELUS DÓMINI
V. Angelus Dómini nuntiávit Maríæ; [TTS: "Angelus Dómini nuntiávit Maríæ; Et concépit de Spíritu Sáncto."] R. Et concépit de Spíritu Sáncto. Áve María [TTS: "Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen."] Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen. V. Ecce ancílla Dómini. [TTS: "Ecce ancílla Dómini. Fiat mihi secúndum verbum túum."] R. Fiat mihi secúndum verbum túum. Áve María [TTS: "Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen."] Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen. V. Et Verbum caro factum est. [TTS: "Et Verbum caro factum est. Et habitávit in nóbis."] R. Et habitávit in nóbis. Áve María [TTS: "Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen."] Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum; benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstræ. Amen. V. Ora pro nóbis, sáncta Déi Génetrix. [TTS: "Ora pro nóbis, sáncta Déi Génetrix. Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Chrísti."] R. Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Chrísti. Oremus [TTS: "Grátiam túam, quæsumus, Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde; ut qui, Angelo nuntiánte, Chrísti Fílii tui Incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem éius et crúcem, ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nóstrum. Amen."] Grátiam túam, quæsumus, Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde; ut qui, Angelo nuntiánte, Chrísti Fílii tui Incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem éius et crúcem, ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nóstrum. Amen.
THE ANGELUS
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary; R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary 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 in 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 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 in the hour of our death. Amen. V. And the Word was made flesh: R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary 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 in 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.
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Common Questions
When and how is the Angelus prayed?
The Angelus is traditionally prayed three times a day, at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., when the Angelus bell rings from a church tower. It consists of three short verses recalling the Incarnation, each followed by a Hail Mary, and concludes with a versicle and a closing prayer. Many Catholics pause at noon to pray it as a rhythm of grace running through the working day.
What does the Angelus commemorate?
The Angelus is a brief contemplation of the Incarnation. Its three verses meditate on the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel, Mary's humble assent ('Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word'), and the moment when 'the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14). Each verse is followed by a Hail Mary, drawing the soul again and again into the mystery of God taking on human nature in the womb of the Virgin.
Where does the Angelus come from?
The Angelus developed gradually during the medieval centuries. The evening prayer began as a 13th-century Franciscan custom of ringing the church bell to recall the Incarnation, indulgenced by Pope John XXII in A.D. 1318. The noon bell was instituted by Pope Calixtus III in A.D. 1456 as a call for prayer in the time of Christian Europe's great trial against the Ottoman advance, and the morning Angelus, drawn from the monastic bells of Lauds, was joined to it by the 16th century to form the threefold daily pattern Catholics still pray today.
How does the Angelus relate to the Pope's Sunday address and to the Regina Caeli?
The Pope traditionally prays the Angelus with the faithful in Saint Peter's Square at noon every Sunday throughout the year, offering a brief reflection beforehand. During the Easter season, however, the Regina Caeli replaces the Angelus, since that joyful antiphon takes precedence in the time of the Resurrection. Together, the Angelus through most of the year and the Regina Caeli through Easter form a single rhythm of midday Marian prayer that has shaped Catholic life for centuries.