The Angelus and the Regina Caeli

Page 5 in "Marian Devotions in the Domestic Church"

Catherine Fournier and Peter Fournier

From Old Testament times, it has been customary for observant Jews to pray three times a day: in the morning, at three o'clock in the afternoon, and at night. (Read Daniel 6: 10 for an example of this practice.) The Apostles maintained this tradition, as we can read in the Acts of the Apostles (3:1) of Peter and John going to the temple "at the ninth hour of prayer". 

The Angelus devotion, honoring the Incarnation, follows the habit of praying three times daily, at six o'clock in the morning, noon, and six o'clock in the evening. In many places around the world, church bells ring at those same times, to call the faithful to pray the Angelus. 

For us too, the Angelus provides families an opportunity to gather together before everyone's day begins, to take a moment in the middle of the day to ask Mary's intercession in our lives, and to come together at the end of the day to give thanks to God for all the blessings of the day. (See CCC nos. 2660, 2676-77, 2694.) The words of the Angelus echo the Gospel of Luke at the Annunciation and Incarnation. 

Leader: The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.  

Response: And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

Leader: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. 

Response: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. 

Response: Be it done unto me according to thy word. Repeat the Hail Mary. 

Leader: And the Word was made Flesh. Response: And dwelt among us. 

Repeat the Hail Mary. 

Leader: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. 

Response: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Leader: Pour forth, we beg You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ Your 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. 

All: Amen. 

All: Queen of heaven, rejoice, Alleluia,
For He whom you merited to bear, Alleluia,
Has risen, as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.

Leader: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia.

Response: Because the Lord is truly risen, Alleluia.

Leader: Let us pray. a God, who by the Resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, gave joy to the whole world; grant, we beg You, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternallife. Through the same Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.