The Angelus

The Angelus is a prayer of devotion to the Blessed Mother commemorating the announcement of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The name “Angelus” comes from the opening words in Latin: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ (“The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary”) and refers to the Angel Gabriel, the messenger of God who revealed to Mary that she would conceive a child named Jesus who would be called the Son of God. (Lk 1:26-35).  The Angelus is prayed by reciting three verses from Luke’s Gospel, and alternating with the “Hail Mary.” In a Catholic tradition dating to at least to the 14^th century, the Angelus is prayed in churches, convents, and monasteries three times daily – 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. – and is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell.

As stated in the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy released several years ago by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments:

The Angelus Domini is a recollection of the salvific event in which the Word became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the salvific plan of the Father.

The recitation of the Angelus is deeply rooted in the piety of the Christian faithful, and strengthened by the example of the Roman Pontiffs. In some places changed social conditions hinder its recitation, but in many other parts every effort should be made to maintain and promote this pious custom and at least the recitation of three Aves. The Angelus “over the centuries has conserved its value and freshness with its simple structure, biblical character […] quasi liturgical rhythm by which the various time of the day are sanctified, and by its openness to the Paschal Mystery.”

Since our neighbors might not appreciate the early morning wake-up, we ring the Angelus bells daily at noon and 6:00 p.m.  The Angelus bell is a triple set of chimes to correspond to the three Hail Mary’s.

Although the praying of the Angelus may have tapered off since the Second Vatican Council, it is still prayed daily in many parts of the world.  In the Vatican, virtually all of the different offices gather together to pray the Angelus daily at noon.  Further, each Sunday at noon, the Holy Father presides over the public recitation of the Angelus at St. Peter’s, and the Piazza and surrounding streets are filled with thousands of people.

The Angelus

1. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
2. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

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

1. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
2. Be it done unto me according to thy word.

Hail Mary…

1. And the Word was made Flesh.
2. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary..

1. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
2. 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.

Feast of the Transfiguration – Aug 6

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Lk 9:34-36a)

Most of the Church Fathers saw the Transfiguration as a glimpse of the glory of Christ given to his disciples so that they might be strengthened to witness the scandal of the Cross. And this is certainly true. But three things immediately jump out of the reading.

First, is the number of apostles. Not all of the twelve are present – only Peter, James and John, the same three apostles that would accompany Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane. Even though they were strengthened by their witness to the glory of the Transfiguration, they would still flee at the beginning of the persecution of Christ.

The second point is the encounter between Jesus and Moses and Elijah. Of course, an easy connection can be made to Jesus being the fulfillment of the law (represented by Moses, who received the Ten Commandments) and the prophets (represented by the prototypical prophet Elijah). But it’s important to note what they are discussing on Mt. Tabor. Shrouded in glory, they’re not focused on Heaven’s glory but on the “exodus that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” This exodus meant the passage Jesus would make from the slavery of death to the Promised Land of eternal life, a journey prefigured in the exodus by which Moses led the Jewish people out from the slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel. And the means by which Jesus would accomplish this exodus is His suffering and death. Once again, the Transfiguration points to the cross.

And then comes the third, penultimate point of the passage: God the Father speaks. He confirms His Son’s true identity. Jesus wasn’t John the Baptist, or Elijah, or one of the prophets, as many people believed. He wasn’t simply the long-awaited Messiah. God the Father thundered from heaven, “This is my beloved Son!” Then he gave a command to the three apostles with Jesus on the mountain: “Listen to Him!” The command echoes to us to listen to what Jesus said about his suffering and death, and believe in Him.

The encounter on Mt. Tabor is given for us to remember where we are headed. Is it to the glory of Heaven represented by the transfigured Lord? We hope so. But we can only get there through the Paschal Mystery: the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A Statement from Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Victims of Violence

Dear Brother Priests,

Each Sunday we pray “Our Family Prayer” that God will make us peacemakers of our time and for an end to violence, murder and racism in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and throughout the world.

Every parish has members who are victims of many types of violence.  The Church cannot be silent at this crucial time when so many of the faithful have been so deeply affected by violence. Prayer is powerful and can change hearts. This is an opportunity for us as a community of faith to pray for reconciliation and healing and to ask God’s help as we strive to build a better community free from violence and its causes.

On Sunday, September 11, 2022, I will celebrate the annual liturgy for the Victims and Survivors of Violence at the 11:00 a.m. mass at Saint Louis Cathedral.

I ask you to submit the names of families in your parish have been affected by violence and murder. We will send them an invitation to the special Mass. We are asking the families who’ve lost loved ones to bring a framed photo of their family member to carry during the procession. Survivors who attend will also be remembered in prayer.

Thank you for your cooperation and participation in this effort. Let us as a Church give evidence of our concerns.  Fraternally in Christ,

Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond
Archbishop of New Orleans

Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola – July 31

Ignacio López de Loyola was born in Spain in 1491, the youngest of 13 children. In 1506, he adopted the last name “de Loyola” in reference of the Basque city of Loyola where he was born.  In 1509, Ignatius took up arms under the Duke of Nájera and participated in many battles without injury to himself.  However, on May 20, 1521, in a battle against the French, a cannonball wounded both of his legs.  During his recuperation at Loyola, Ignatius read the Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, a commentary on the Gospels with extracts from the works of over sixty of the Fathers of the Church; the book influenced his whole life.  Ludolph proposes that the reader place himself at the scene of a Gospel story and visualize the scene in a simple contemplation.

During his recuperation at Loyola, Ignatius read the Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, a commentary on the Gospels with extracts from the works of over sixty of the Fathers of the Church; the book influenced his whole life. Ludolph proposes that the reader place himself at the scene of a Gospel story and visualize the scene in a simple contemplation. He also read the lives of the saints.

When Ignatius left Loyola he had no definite plans for the future, except that he wished to rival all the saints had done in the way of penance. His first care was to make a general confession at the famous sanctuary of Montserrat, where, after three days of self-examination, and carefully noting his sins, he confessed, gave to the poor the rich clothes in which he had come, and put on garment of sack-cloth reaching to his feet. His sword and dagger he suspended at Our Lady’s altar, and passed the night watching before them. The next morning, he retired to a cave near the neighboring town of Manresa, where he retired for prayer, austerities, and contemplation, while he lived on alms.

It was at this time, too, that he began to make notes of his spiritual experiences, notes which grew into the little book of “Spiritual Exercises.”

St. Ignatius spent a number of years studying in Paris, where he became thoroughly versed in the science of education, and learned by experience how the life of prayer and penance might be combined with that of teaching and study. Starting a small society in Paris, the Society of Jesus was approved by the Holy See in 1540. He died on July 30, 1556 and was canonized in 1622.

Currently, the Jesuits are the single largest religious order in the world, numbering nearly 20,000 members, of which nearly 14,000 are priests. They work in 112 nations on six continents.