The feast of the Annunciation, March 25, is upon us — and it is a day we should celebrate. We can even suspend our Lenten fast for the sake of the solemnity. (Or not.)
The Annunciation is one of those few mysteries of Jesus’ life that many Catholics celebrate every single day. We remember it when we say the Hail Mary, which is drawn from St. Luke’s account of the event.
We can remember it also in a slightly longer prayer, the Angelus, which Catholics traditionally say at noon. If you’re not already saying the Angelus every day, think about giving it a try. There are so many good reasons to do it.
It’s probably the boost you need at midday. Think about it. Remember the scene when Moses was very old and Israel was battling the Amelekites? Moses watched the battle from a hill nearby. “Whenever Moses held up his hand” — in a gesture of humble prayer — “Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). Midway through the battle, Moses’ arms grew weary and began to fall. So his brother Aaron and friend Hur flanked him and supported his hands, so that they were steady until the end of the battle. Israel was, of course, victorious.
We who don’t have Moses’ greatness can also grow weary halfway through our daily struggles. That’s why we pray the Angelus.
Angelus means “angel” and is the first word of the prayer in Latin. You can look up the whole prayer online.
Its verses and responses are scriptural, drawn from the story of Jesus’ conception, as told in the Gospels of Luke (1:26–28 and 1:38) and John (1:14). Thus, at the turning point of our day, we remember the turning point of human history: the moment when an angel appeared to a young woman named Mary and told her of God’s plan to send the Messiah to the world as her child. All subsequent history, and all of creation, turned on her consent.
Christians have always paused for prayer at the noon hour. In apostolic times, it was called the prayer of the “sixth hour,” counting from sunrise. St. Peter was praying the noontime prayers when he received a revelation from the Lord (Acts 10:9).
It was also at the sixth hour that Jesus was crucified (Luke 23:44), his arms outstretched as Moses’ arms were, on yet another hilltop. In prayer he persevered and prevailed, even over death.
The early Christians remembered these biblical events and precedents as they offered their customary midday prayers, which Tertullian recorded as early as the second century.
If we are growing weak or weary at midday, or irritable with our co-workers or family, if we are discouraged because the odds are against us, we can look to Mary and know that we, too, can rely on the help of angels and the providence of God, who has a plan for us. Like Moses, we can renew our prayer, with supernatural help, and witness the victory of God in our hearts through the rest of the day.
Source: Angelus News
