Angelus
The Angelus recalls the Incarnation through three versicles, three Hail Marys, and a closing prayer. Its customary times are morning, noon, and evening. From Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday, the Regina Caeli traditionally replaces it.
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R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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 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.
In Latin
V. Ángelus Dómini nuntiávit Maríæ.
R. Et concépit de Spíritu Sancto.
Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.
V. Ecce ancílla Dómini.
R. Fiat mihi secúndum verbum tuum.
Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.
V. Et Verbum caro factum est.
R. Et habitávit in nobis.
Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei génetrix.
R. Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi.
Orémus. Grátiam tuam, quæsumus, Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde; ut qui, Ángelo nuntiánte, Christi Fílii tui incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem eius et crucem, ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.
Remembering the Incarnation
The Angelus recalls the angel's message to Mary, her consent, and the Word becoming flesh. Its three short versicles lead through these events, with a Hail Mary after each response. The closing prayer asks that the grace of Christ's Incarnation may lead us, through his Passion and Cross, to the glory of his Resurrection.
The first two exchanges recall Luke 1:26–38. The third recalls John 1:14. These verses place the prayer close to the Annunciation, the first Joyful Mystery. Mary receives God's word, and the Son of God enters our human life.
In shared prayer, a leader may say the lines marked V. and everyone may answer the lines marked R. All then pray the Hail Mary. When praying alone, say both parts.
When is the Angelus prayed?
The customary times are morning, noon, and evening, often marked by a church bell. No beads are used.
During the Easter season, from Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday, the Regina Caeli traditionally replaces the Angelus. Its words rejoice in Christ's Resurrection. Outside the Easter season, the Angelus returns to the mystery of the Incarnation. This seasonal practice is described in the Church's Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, §§195–196.
Kneeling is customary for the Angelus in many settings. Posture varies according to local custom and the circumstances of those praying. A person unable to kneel can remain seated or standing while joining in the same words.
The Angelus and the Rosary
The Angelus is a distinct devotion, not a required part of the Rosary. If you finish a Rosary near one of its customary times, you may pray it afterward. It follows its own sequence of exchanges and Hail Marys. After the Rosary includes it among the optional prayers sometimes said after the conclusion.