ANGELUS

BASIC R.C. BELIEF

A devotion to which people are called by the church bell at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. It commemorates the Incarnation, and consists of three versicles (short sentences and responses), three Hail Marys and a special prayer. The three Hail Marys are in honor of

(1) the angel's message to Mary;

(2) Mary's consent and

(3) Our Lord's goodness in humbling Himself so much for our sake. Then we say, "Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God! that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ." Finally, we say a prayer in honor of Our Lord's Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection.

(AN EXPLANATION OF THE BALTIMORE CATECHISM, page 16.)

St. Thomas Aquinas says that in sending His Son into the world, God wanted to contract a certain spiritual marriage between Him and human nature. Therefore, He sent the angel to ask Mary's consent, in the place of the whole human race. This is brought out in the Angelus.