The Angelus

by Larry Fraher, Ph.D., Director of Faith Formation & Education  |  11/27/2022  |  Images of Faith

The painting by Jean-Francois Millet, titled “The Angelus” (Paris, Museo de Orsay, oil on canvas, 1857-1859), offers a pastoral scene of a man and woman at work in their field. The Angelus bell, heard from the steeple of the Church in the distance prompts the co-workers to stop their activity and offer their prayer. His pitchfork set aside, her collecting cart and basket put down, they bow their heads and fold their hands in prayer. Humble and thankful for the gifts of life and the goodness it brings, they make their prayer recalling that it was in the course of the normal business and busy-ness of the day that the Angel of God appeared to Mary who said “yes” to God'splan of salvation

The Angelus

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 your 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 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. Amen.

This prayer is the perfect companion to the message of Christ in today’s Gospel. We are instructed to remain at the ready for the coming of the Lord. The image even entails a faint suggestion of the line in the Gospel that refers to workers in the field. It calls to us and invites us, as we begin this Advent season, to respond to the ringing bells and the words we hear again, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Too often this life consumes us. How many of us are busy making shopping lists, creating our holiday projects, and being, “just too busy” to take time for the Lord?

Christ reminds us that this is what got the generation of Noah in trouble, and he calls each of us to make ourselves ready. As you enter this Advent, what will you do to make yourself ready? How will you pause, and not get caught in the traps of business and busy-ness?

Above is the Angelus, a prayer offered by Catholic faithful throughout the centuries, prayed in response to Church bells rung at 12:00pm and 6:00pm (and historically also at 6:00am or 9:00pm) each day. You are invited, during this time, to set an alarm on your phone for noon and 6 p.m. Stop, pray, and prepare! For we know not the day or the hour that the Son of Man will come.