Does the Angelus ring a bell?"LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!" SUCH WORDS are the making and sustaining of a relationship. Letters are written, phone calls are made, luncheons are scheduled. By these and other means of communication we do keep in touch and deepen one of the greatest of all gifts: friendship. In our spiritual lives the same dynamic is at work: the need to keep in touch with God. We do that through the pondering of scripture, the celebration of the sacraments, and the participation in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy The Works of Mercy or Acts of Mercy are actions and practices which the Catholic Church considers expectations to be fulfilled by believers. These works, it is believed, express mercy, and are thus expected to be performed by believers insofar as they are able in accordance . A continual process of dialogue keeps us attuned at·tune tr.v. at·tuned, at·tun·ing, at·tunes 1. To bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship: an industry that is not attuned to market demands. 2. to the purposes of God and the great mystery of divine mercy and love. It keeps us centered and provides meaning. In the tradition of the church there has been another avenue of keeping in touch, the devotional life. This aspect of Catholicism has fallen on hard times, in some instances, or totally disappeared--the family rosary, novenas, stations of the cross Stations of the Cross depictions of episodes of Christ’s death. [Christianity: Brewer Dictionary, 1035] See : Passion of Christ , and the list goes on. The causes for the demise are numerous and complex and demand a careful historical analysis. I write simply to suggest that we need some devotional practices to keep us in touch with our God in between the celebrations of our sacramental life. An intimate friendship with God calls for a frequent turning of our attention and our hearts to God's ubiquitous presence. Devotions help us to stay awake, one of the primary goals of any spirituality. My conviction is that a particular devotion, the Angelus, might well be one of the best means of keeping in touch with the mysteries of our faith. This devotion originated back in the 13th century when people would pause three times a day (6 a.m., noon, 6 p.m.) and lift their minds and hearts to God. This spiritual exercise is grounded in the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38). Here the visitation of the angel Gabriel Angel Gabriel can refer to:
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary Hail Mary: see Ave Maria. Hail Mary Latin Ave Maria Principal Roman Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary. It begins with the greetings spoken to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel and by her cousin Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke: . V. Behold the handmaid hand·maid also hand·maid·en n. 1. A woman attendant or servant. 2. often handmaiden Something that accompanies or is attendant on another: of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. your word. Hail Mary. V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt dwelt v. A past tense and a past participle of dwell. 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 Verb 1. pour forth - pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities; "shed tears"; "spill blood"; "God shed His grace on Thee" shed, spill pour - cause to run; "pour water over the floor" , we beseech be·seech tr.v. be·sought or be·seeched, be·seech·ing, be·seech·es 1. To address an earnest or urgent request to; implore: beseech them for help. 2. 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 be His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Herein is contained the basic dynamic of Christian life: God's initiative, the graced human response, the enfleshment of God's love and mercy, the participation in the Paschal Mystery. When prayed from the heart and with reverence, the soul "keeps in touch" with a divine rhythm that issues in the doing of God's will. In 1835 the American poet, short-story writer, and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe wrote a poem based on the Angelus. Poe was living near Fordham University and inquired why the university rang its bells three times a day. When informed of this devotional practice, Poe wrote the following verse compiled in Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Poems (Gramercy Books, 1992): At morn--at noon--at twilight dim-- Maria! thou hast heard my hymn! In joy and woe--in good and ill-- Mother of God, be with me still! When the Hours flew brightly by, And not a cloud obscured the sky, My soul, lest it should truant be, Thy grace did guide to thine thine pron. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Used to indicate the one or ones belonging to thee. adj. A possessive form of thou1 Used instead of thy before an initial vowel or h and thee; Now, when storms of Fate o'ercast Darkly my Present and my Past, Let my Future radiant shine With sweet hopes of thee and thine! One of the great needs of our time is for retrieval, a recovery and restoration of certain insights and practices that held the soul and community together. One way to care for the soul, one way to bond the community back together, is to recapture certain customs that recall the heart of the Christian life. The Angelus is one such practice. Its retrieval, along with the memorization of Poe's poem, are spiritual exercises that might well transform our lives. |
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