Angelus, 11 August 2024 | Francis (2024)

POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 11 August 2024

[Multimedia]

________________________________________

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today the Gospel of the liturgy (Jn 6:41-51) tells us about the Jews’ reaction to Jesus’ statement, who says: “I have come down from heaven” (Jn 6:38). They are scandalized.

They murmur among themselves: “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (Jn 6:42). And they murmur like this. Let us pay attention to what they say. They are convinced that Jesus cannot have come from heaven, because he is the son of a carpenter and because his mother and his relatives are common people, familiar, normal people, like so many others. “How could God manifest himself in such an ordinary way?”, they say. They are obstructed in their faith by their preconception of his humble origins and they are obstructed by the presumption, therefore, that they have nothing to learn from him. Preconceptions and presumption, how much harm they do us! They prevent sincere dialogue, a coming together of brothers and sisters: beware of preconceptions and presumption! They have their rigid mindsets, and there is no space in their heart for what does not fit into them, for what they are unable to catalogue and file away in the dusty shelves of their certainties. And this is true: very often our certainties are closed up, dusty, like old books.

And yet they are people who observe the law, who give alms, who respect fasts and times of prayer. Indeed, Christ has already performed various miracles (cf. Jn 2:1-11; 4:43-54; 5:1-9; 6:1-25). How is it that all this does not help them to recognize the Messiah in him? Why does it not help them? Because they carry out their religious practices not so much in order to listen to the Lord, but rather to find in them the confirmation of what they think. They are closed to the Word of the Lord, and look for confirmation of their own thoughts. This is demonstrated by the fact that they do not even take the trouble to ask Jesus for an explanation; they limit themselves to murmuring among themselves against him (cf. Jn 6:41), as though to reassure each other of what they are convinced, and they shut themselves in, they are closed up in an impenetrable fortress. And so, they are unable to believe. The closure of the heart: how much harm it does, how much harm!

Let us pay attention to all of this, because at times the same thing can happen to us too, in our life and in our prayer: it can happen to us, that is, that instead of truly listening to what the Lord has to say to us, we look to him and others only for a confirmation of what we think, a confirmation of our convictions, our judgements, which are prejudices. But this way of addressing God does not help us to encounter God, to truly encounter him, nor to open ourselves up to the gift of his light and his grace, in order to grow in goodness, to do his will and to overcome insularity and difficulties. Brothers and sisters, faith and prayer, when they are true, open the mind and the heart; they do not close them. When you find a person who is closed in their mind, in prayer, that faith and that prayer are not true.

Let us ask ourselves, then: in my life of faith, am I capable of being truly silent within myself, and listening to God? Am I willing to welcome his voice, beyond my own mindset, and also, with his help, to overcome my fears?

May Mary help us to listen with faith to the Lord’s voice, and to do his will courageously.

___________________________________________

After praying the Angelus the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters! We have commemorated, in these days, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As we continue to commend to the Lord the victims of those events, and of all wars, let us renew our intense prayer for peace, especially for martyred Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan and Myanmar.

Today is the feast of Saint Clare: I address an affectionate thought to all the Clarissians, and in particular those from Vallegloria, with whom I have a beautiful friendship.

Let us also pray for the victims of the tragic aeroplane crash in Brazil.

And I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and many countries, in particular the group of students from the minor seminary of Bergamo, who have come on foot from Assisi, in a several days-long pilgrimage. Are you tired? No? Good. You are good!

I wish you all a happy Sunday. And to you, too, young people of the Immacolata: happy Sunday! And please, do not forget to pray for me; also you Brazilians, there, who I can see clearly. To all of you, thank you! Enjoy your lunch, and arrivederci!

Angelus, 11 August 2024 | Francis (2024)

FAQs

Why is Angelus said at 6pm? ›

The Angelus is also based upon the 11th-century monastic custom of reciting three Hail Marys during the evening bell. The older usages seem to have commemorated the resurrection of Christ in the morning, his suffering at noon and the Annunciation in the evening.

Can the Angelus be said anytime? ›

Although the Angelus has been traditionally said three times daily, at 6 am, noon and 6 pm, you can pray it at anytime! It is still accompanied by the ringing of a bell (the Angelus bell) in some places such as Vatican City and parts of Germany and Ireland.

When should I say the Angelus? ›

The practice seems to have always been associated with the ringing of a bell at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. Whole villages and towns would literally come to halt when the Angelus bell rang. Laborers in the fields, workers in shops, and families at home set aside what they were doing and prayed the Angelus together.

Why do we pray the Angelus 3 times a day? ›

This devotion reminds us of the Angel Gabriel's annunciation to Mary, Mary's fiat, the Incarnation and Our Lord's passion and resurrection. It is repeated as a holy invitation, calling us to prayer and meditation. For centuries the Angelus was always said while kneeling, but Pope Benedict XIV (r.

Can you pray the angelus alone? ›

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. You can pray it alone quietly or with a group where there is a leader and a group that responds. No matter how or when you pray it, the Angelus prayer allows our hearts to refocus back on God and His will for our lives.

Why do Catholics say the Angelus at noon? ›

Of course, no one who wants to pray the Angelus is required to say it three times a day. Many people pray it once a day—often at the noon hour. Noon is the hour at which Catholics particularly reflect upon Our Lord's passion, since Jesus mounted the cross at noon on Good Friday.

Do Protestants say the Angelus? ›

The devotion is traditionally recited in Roman Catholic churches, convents, monasteries and by the faithful three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening (usually just before or after Vespers). The devotion is also observed by some Western Rite Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches.

What prayer instead of Angelus? ›

Why is the Regina Coeli prayed instead of the Angelus during Easter? During the Easter season, the universal Church prays the prayer Regina Coeli, or Queen of Heaven, to joyfully unite with the Mother of God in celebrating the Resurrection of her Son Jesus Christ, who conquered death in this way.

Do you kneel for the angelus? ›

Originally it was necessary that the Angelus should be said kneeling (except on Sundays and on Saturday evenings, when the rubrics prescribe a standing posture), and also that it should be said at the sound of the bell; but more recent legislation allows these conditions to be dispensed with for any sufficient reason, ...

Why do Catholics pray at 3 PM? ›

This is the hour of great mercy for the world, and can be a moment of reflection on His Passion and Death for us. If possible, It is a good time to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and an excellent time for making the Stations of the Cross.

How many times does the Angelus bell ring? ›

The Angelus peal is rung at 12:00 p.m. noon and 6:00 p.m. which consists of three strikes of the lowest bell, three times (1-1-1, pause, 1-1-1, pause, 1-1-1) followed by a short peal of the lowest three bells.

Is the Angelus a powerful prayer? ›

The Angelus is a powerful Catholic devotion that can add joy, peace and purpose into everyday life.

Is the angelus prayed at 6am? ›

What is the Angelus. The Angelus, a prayer with roots back to the 13th century, is a Marian devotion that is traditionally recited three times a day, usually at 6, noon, and 6. Each recitation includes three Hail Marys with antiphons and responses in between each.

What is the original Angelus prayer? ›

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. (Lk 1: 42).

What is the Catholic prayer said at 6pm? ›

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.

What time does the Pope say the Angelus? ›

The Pope recites the Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square every Sunday at midday.

Why do we say the angelus at 12? ›

The custom of reciting it in the morning apparently grew from the monastic custom of saying three Hail Marys while a bell rang at Prime. The noon time custom apparently arose from the noon time commemoration of the Passion on Fridays.

What is the 3 pm Angelus prayer? ›

At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow.

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