Prayers

The Angelus (with Servite variant)

A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who either at dawn, noon, or evening devoutly recite the Angelis with its accompanying versicles and prayer. (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 17.2.2)

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 thy 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.

or

Let us pray

Lord,
fill our hearts with your love,
and as you revealed to us by an angel,
the coming of your Son as man,
So lead us through his suffering and death
to the glory of his resurrection,
for he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

It is customary in Rome, as well as in other parts of the world, to add the following versicles at the end of the Angelus

The following versicles are added thrice:

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Then is said:

V. May the divine assistance remain always with us
R. Amen

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace
R. Amen.

THE CELEBRATION OF THE ANGELUS

Among the members of the Order of the Servants of Mary, the praying of this prayer may take the following expanded form.

Announce the salvation of the Lord,
proclaim his works among the peoples.
His mercy is everlasting.

Bless the Lord our God
who sent the Word of life into the world.
Just is the Lord in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
Let every creature praise him
and all living beings bless his name.

GREETING  AND INTRODUCTION

The mercy of the Father,
the grace and peace of Christ,
and the love of the Holy Spirit
be with us always.
Blessed be God forever.

An appropriate hymn or antiphon may be sung.

Ant. Do not fear, Mary. You have found favour with God. You shall conceive and bear a son, alleluia.

Canticle of Anna  
1 Sam 2:1-10
 
My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
 
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.

Speak boastfully no longer,
nor let arrogance issue
from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the Lord,
a God who judges deeds.

The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven children
while the mother of many languishes.
 
The Lord puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.

He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to set them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's
and he has set the world upon them.
He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness.
For not by strength does one prevail;
the Lord's foes shall be shattered.

The Most High in heaven thunders;
the Lord judges the ends of the earth.
Now may he give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
 
Ant. Do not fear, Mary. You have found favour with God. You shall conceive and bear a son, alleluia.

or:

Ant. His salvation is near to those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.

Jdt 16: 1-2. 13-15.

Begin a song to my God with tambourines,
sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Raise to him a new psalm;
exalt him, and call upon his name.

I will sing to my God a new song:
O Lord, you are great and glorious,
wonderful in strength, invincible.

Let all your creatures serve you,
for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent forth your spirit, and it formed them;
there is none that can resist your voice.

For the mountains shall be shaken
to their foundations with the waters;
before your glance the rocks shall melt like wax.
But to those who fear you, you show mercy.  

Ant. His salvation is near to those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.

Or:

Ant. Rejoice, O Virgin, spotless bride, dawn of the day of the Lord.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.

The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Ant. Rejoice, O Virgin, spotless bride, dawn of the day of the Lord.

From the Gospel according to Luke                
1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her:  "Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter!  The Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women."  She was deeply troubled by his words, and wondered what his greeting meant.  The angel went on to say to her:  "Do not fear, Mary.  You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus.  Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father.  He will rule over the house of Jacob forever and his reign will be without end."

Mary said to the angel, "How can this be since I do not know man?"  The angel answered her:  "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence the holy off-spring to be born will be called Son of God.  Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age; she who was thought to be sterile is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God."

Mary said:  "I am the servant of the Lord.  Let it be done to me as you say."  With that the angel left her.

This is the Word of the Lord.

THE ANGELUS

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
–  And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary….  

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done to me according to your word.

Hail Mary….

The Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary. …

CONCLUDING PRAYER

In communion with all men and women,
and renewing our commitment of service for the building up of the Kingdom,
let us present to the Father
the intentions recommended by the Bishops of Rome for the prayer of the Angelus
and let us remember, too, the needs of our Order.

May your word be fulfilled in us, Lord.
 
That the Church, Bride of the Incarnate Word, be always faithful to the Gospel, undivided in faith and united in love, let us pray to the Lord.              
May your word be fulfilled in us, Lord.

That the peace brought to the earth by the Incarnate Word be maintained and spread through the world through the efforts of his disciples, let us pray to the Lord.
May your word be fulfilled in us, Lord.

That the Word of God, announced by the prophets, conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, and proclaimed by the apostles, be accepted with love  by all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
May your word be fulfilled in us, Lord.

That the brothers and sisters of our Order, inspired by the fiat of the Blessed Virgin, Faithfully carry out the will of God and live in service of others, let us pray to the Lord.
May your word be fulfilled in us, Lord.

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 a message of an Angel,
may, by his passion and cross,
be brought to the glory of his resurrection.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

DISMISSAL       

May God,
who brought light to the darkness of the world
through the Incarnation of his Son,
make us attentive to his Word
and confirm us in his peace.
Amen.

Go in the peace of the Lord
and cherish in your hearts the Word that saves.
Thanks be to God.

- Menu -