The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary

 

The Angelus

 

 

"The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and She Conceived by the Holy Spirit"

 

How wonderful is that? and how simple, humble and yet earth shatteringly profound!

The Angel Gabriels Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary announcing to her that she has been chosen by God to bear His very self in her womb.

 

The humble innocent virgin girl of Nazareth, scared and over awed, and yet she is able to give her YES and her free consent to an event that will change her life and that of her family and that will also change Human and Salvation history forever.

 

"BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD, LET WHAT YOU HAVE SAID BE DONE UNTO ME"
 

Marys YES to God, enables the Incarnation to take place, God becomes Man in the womb of the Virgin.

Jesus The Saviour of Mankind asks for the consent of Mary a human, before He is Incarnated.

 

"AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US"
                    (ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST)
 

The Incarnate Word, who created the Universe and all that is within it, becomes a Human Being at the moment of the Incarnation.

Earth and Heaven are united at that moment and the most important event in human history takes place.

 

Annunciation

 



 The practice of praying "The Angelus" reminds us that God has entered Human history, God took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary.

The Angelus reminds us what life is all about, it is about God and not just about us.

 

The ringing of the Angelus bells at 6am 12 noon and 6pm remind us of this fact.

Pausing to remember the miracle of the Incarnation, for a minute or so, grounds us in reality and helps us keep in touch with reality.

 

The Angelus bells ringing on RTE 1 Television and Radio at 12 and 6pm are for some people a joke, for some people an irrelevancy, for some people an annoying hangover of a Catholic Church dominated Ireland and for some people a source of anger that a God who they dont believe in has somehow managed to encroach into their consciousness.

I think that RTE is to be praised and thanked for continuing a tradition that goes back to the 11th century and which has more than proved its worth.

Of course we all know that RTE will eventually stop The Angelus and succumb to the Pagan Secularists who clamour for a bland, non-descript God less society , masquerading under the banner of "Equality & Freedom"  What a joke! 

You try disagreeing with the modern Pagans or mentioning God or the Catholic Church and you will see their idea of Freedom and Equality clearly manifested.
No, they have no room in their "free and equal" world for practising Christians, Muslims, Jews or any other religion, apart that is from thier own "religion" of consumerism, pleasure seeking and materialism. (Known for genereations as Hedonism)

RTE have already bowed to the wishes of the Pagan / Secularists and removed all religious imagery during the minute or so of the transmission of the Angelus bells!

Oh please spare me from having to watch people feeding white bread to Swans (bad for them by the way) while the Angelus rings out!  
WHAT ON EARTH HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH THE ANNUNCIATION and GOD BECOMING MAN??

No please give me the beautiful images of the Annunciation that RTE used to show.



Mosaic of Annunciation in Santa Maria Maggiore

(St Mary Major Basilica-Rome)

 

By the way, I remember a priest once telling me that the most important words in the story of the Annunciation as told in St Lukes Gospel are at the very end.

 

The passage starts The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a Virgin betrothed to a man called Joseph of the House of David, and the virgins name was Mary.  

The Angel went in and said to her, "Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, "
                                                            "AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA"

 

The whole account as described by St Luke is marvellous and the miracle of the Incarnation of Christ as described is profound, but the passage ends with the following words:

 

"And the Angel departed from her"

 

These were the words that were highlighted to me many years ago as being so important.

 

 

St Luke is emphasising to us that following Marys acceptance of her mission and role to be the Mother of the Saviour, that she is left alone and without Angelic help or assistance.

"And the Angel departed from her."

 

She, like us all, had to GET ON WITH IT on her own.

 

That is a great insight into Marys yes and her acceptance of Gods will in her life.

May we all like Mary, say YES to God in our lives and may The Angelus continue to remind us all that God became man.

 

 

                "AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONGST US"

 

                                                "ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST"

 

The Blessed Virgin Mary extolled the greatness of God and Her own role in salvation history when she proclaimed:

 

"My Soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Saviour, for He has looked upon the lowliness of His handmaid, for henceforth  ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED for the Almighty has done great things for me and Holy is His name.

His Mercy is from age to age on those who revere Him,

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly,

The poor He has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.

He has remembered His promise to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his children forever."

 

May the ringing of the "AVE bell" continue to ring out its dulcent tones over the towns, cities, villages and townlands of Ireland and in many other countries for years to come.

And may we all take comfort from its reminder message that we are not alone, God loves us so much that He took flesh, was born of the Virgin Mary, was Crucified, Died but Rose from the dead VICTORIOUS.

Christ has already conquered evil and death, we have nothing to fear, we live with total joy and hope as Catholic Christians.

 

The Angelus bells remind us of this fact.

 

God is in charge