Angelus Meditations

Learn more about this novena here: The Annunciation Novena.

Day 9 Reflection: Theotokos

From Praying the Angelus (pp. 90-91).

God has a mother. Let that sink in for a moment.

He has a human mother. It is a powerful concept. The very idea threw the Church into a heated debate that led many to break into their own factions outside of the Church in the fifth century. To believe as we do that the holy, infinite, and all-powerful God would humble himself to be born as a son of a human being is nearly unbelievable. Yet that is exactly what God did. He chose a human mother here on earth to give birth to him.

Consider that audacious Greek name for Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God or more literally, “God bearer.” We ask her to pray for us, that  we may be made worthy of her son’s promises. Thanks be to God that he made this worthiness possible: our God became man so that man could become like God. Through his humility, our unworthiness can be transformed into greatness. Our God was so humble that he took a human mother.

Think about your own mother for a moment. Whether you are close with her or not, mothers are an integral part of all our lives; we all feel—or at least we long to feel—great affection for mothers. Our God looked upon Mary with this same affection on earth and still does in heaven. This is why we seek her intercession.

In your prayers today, turn to Mary to intercede on your behalf. Ask for the strength to live out the humility of Christ and be made worthy of the promises he makes to us.

The Annunciation Novena

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of his only-begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

Holy, lovely Mary,
We give our all to you
What is past and present,
And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

(State your intention here . . .)

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
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 to 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 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.

Learn more about this novena here: The Annunciation Novena.

Day 8 Reflection: Emmanuel

From Praying the Angelus (pp. 85-86).

One of the most popular Advent and Christmas hymns is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Emmanuel is a Hebrew word meaning “God-with-us.” The song expresses our longing for God. We are in exile here without Christ; we are lonely and isolated without God.

But even today God is with us! We remind ourselves of this every time we pray these words of the Angelus: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” We don’t have to be alone. God is present here even today. Our God is not distant and unknowable. He is present among us and working in this world even if we do not have him in the flesh anymore.

What an incredible gift that our God did not remain far off but became one of us. Through his mercy and love, God took on our flesh to be one with us. He shows his love for us by offering us his very life and his presence with us today. Though we cannot see him in the flesh, we can find comfort in knowing that he is not far off.

We can experience his presence in prayer or in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. We can recognize his presence and working in the world in each moment of our day. We can meet him in the face of strangers and friends that we encounter each day.

God is here today. God is with us.

As you pray today, think of the emotional drive behind the song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Hum the tune in your head. As you do, consider the hymn’s desperate plea for God to be with us. At the end of your prayer, give thanks that God continues to dwell in you and in your life.

The Annunciation Novena

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of his only-begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

Holy, lovely Mary,
We give our all to you
What is past and present,
And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

(State your intention here . . .)

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
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 to 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 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.

Learn more about this novena here: The Annunciation Novena.

Day 7 Reflection: In the Beginning

From Praying the Angelus (pp. 79-80).

During the Angelus we move from Luke’s account of the Annunciation to the opening of the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:1, 14).

Luke shows the connection between Mary/Gabriel and the creation story with Eve/Satan, while John repeats the introductory words of Genesis (“In the beginning . . .”) to connect the Incarnation with the seven-day creation story. Both gospels give us a sense of the eternity of God as well as the incredible miracle and gift that is his coming into the world as an infant.

These words from John’s gospel are an important reminder of who Jesus was and is. He was not “created” in the Incarnation; he has always been and always will be. He was there in the beginning and he will be there in the end. He came into this world in flesh and blood so that we could share in his eternity.

Even if we cannot “see” him in the flesh, we can still see his glory all around us through the gifts of his creation and through the relationships we have with other people.

Our God, the God who created us, became human. His gift of creation is gift enough; his gift of becoming one of us is beyond understanding. Practice gratitude today by offering a prayer of gratitude to God for creating us and for becoming one of us.

The Annunciation Novena

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of his only-begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

Holy, lovely Mary,
We give our all to you
What is past and present,
And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

(State your intention here . . .)

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
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 to 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 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.

Learn more about this novena here: The Annunciation Novena.

Day 6 Reflection: Mary’s Fiat

From Praying the Angelus (pp. 76-77).

Mary’s words “May it be done” or “Be it done” are often referred to as her fiat, which is the first of these words in Latin. Mary’s fiat is her submission to God’s will. When we echo her words during the Angelus, we, too, submit to God’s will in our lives. We model our faith after Mary’s faith opening ourselves up to the will of God.

Why is Mary such a great model for faith? It all goes back to her fiat. With full trust in God, she set her will aside and let his be done. Think about the choices she had. She could have said “Let it be done later,” and she could have downright refused—but she didn’t. As a result, God brought redemption into the world through Mary.

God wants to bring life, peace, and goodness into this world through you, too. Are you willing to let it be done? Have the courage to echo the words of Mary and live the life God wants you to live.

Is there a fiat you need to make today? Think through your day. When have you needed or will you need to submit to God’s will for your life? Pray for the strength to echo Mary’s words and let it be done.

The Annunciation Novena

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of his only-begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

Holy, lovely Mary,
We give our all to you
What is past and present,
And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

(State your intention here . . .)

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
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 to 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 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.