Ship of Fools: Angelus for one voice

Thread: Angelus for one voice Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

How would one say the Angelus alone?
Just run through it without the breaks for the change of speaker?

Of course I would not be ALONE really - only physically.
In a non-Christian half-ploughed field...or a street passively surrounded by people of The Dominant Monotheistic Religion here or the Other Major Monotheism; all of whom are attuned to and take in their stride "prayer in public places at random times in random places facing various fixed directions".

The idea of stopping completely and bringing oneself back to a short Incredibly Traddie prayer is the attraction here.
It would be a 3 month trial at first just to see...how I felt, if it was do-able, how intrusive was it (to me, to the environment).

I would like do it 0700 (fits in with my Morning Ablutions and Medications, 1200 (lunchtime at school where I work)OR 1400 (after the school-day is over) and 1945 (just before The Evening News!) or just before sleep.

Or is the only option to move to Ireland and do it with the radio?

[ 23. October 2012, 07:05: Message edited by: Galilit ]

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

I just stop when I hear the cathedral bells tolling at 12 and 6 and say it to myself, just running straight through. If I am at my desk or my work-bench, or in my room, then I try to concentrate on an image of our Lady and Child as I do so. I don't really see what else one could do!

Posted by Basilica (# 16965) on :

Personally, I'm quite happy saying the Angelus to myself, saying both verses and responses. Remembering, of course, that one is never genuinely alone when one prays, but surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses. To say both parts yourself acknowledges and participates in this.

If, however, this didn't suit your pattern of prayer, you could record either yourself or someone else saying one part, while you fill in the other part. To my mind this is slightly less attractive, not least because the timing will be tricky, potentially becoming forced and unnatural. But why not give it a go?

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

Mmmm...thank you, Basilica. I am good at connecting to the Community of Faith Down the Ages so never feel alone per se (partly spiritual gift, partly force of circs).
Good idea in theory and the technology would not be difficult; but not for me, coz I would then want Someone Special doing The Priest-ie Part eg Met. Kallistos Ware or Msgr Georg Ganswein...and that would distract me and defeat the object as you can imagine!

I looked at it again and it's not so bad as a continuous narrative.

Posted by Swick (# 8773) on :

I pray the Angelus several days a week before Morning Prayer, which conveniently is at 6:00 am and usually is around sunrise (more or less), so it is at one of the traditional times.

At my (Episcopa) church, we also pray it during some seasons after the Eucharist.

I like the idea of the traditional hours of praying the Angelus, along with the church bells, but in in urban setting where the only noises are car horns, I don't find it practical.

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

The only time I remember to say the Angelus is when I hear the bell tolling as such, whether or not at my hands, when I pause to recite it. I forget at other times.

Posted by Mama Thomas (# 10170) on :

Except in certain religious communities or the rarest of families I'm sure most people pray the Angelus and Regina Caeli alone and always have done sp. I do admire the Muslims for praying five times a day and wish Christians could do the same.

To make the prayer less cerebral, why not add the "manual acts" viz.

Cross yourself at
+The Angel of the Lord
Bow your head at the home of Jesus during the Hail Marys
And at the word "+cross"
During the collect,

And if you add the prayer for the departed at the end, in the middle of that prayer too?

Livens up even more of the best devotions !

Posted by Aggie (# 4385) on :

As a member of the Society of OLW, I am obliged to say the Angelus daily, so I usually say it to myself during the day whilst at work. I work in central London, and occasionally, depending on which way the wind is blowing, I do sometimes hear an Angelus bell tolling from some nearby church at midday.

Posted by Angloid (# 159) on :

I admire the very Anglican restraint of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, who toll the bell for the angelus while the community are standing for the following office, and simply keep silence. Whether, or how, brethren say the traditional prayers is up to them, I presume.

Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Galilit:
How would one say the Angelus alone?
Just run through it without the breaks for the change of speaker?

Read both parts, pacing the prayer just as you would were you saying it with others, with slight pauses between each part.

That way the rhythm of piety remains the same whether you are saying it alone or in a group.

The idea using a machine to give voice to the other part is—well—unnecessary.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

I too usually say it 'to myself' - have done for about 45 years.

My last two churches had a public recitation if a service ended or began around 7, noon or 6.

Posted by Oferyas (# 14031) on :

Living in rural France we can hear the Angelus rung from the towers of several local churches, though the custom in (this part?) France is 7am, noon and 7pm - I've never heard an explanation of why the morning and evening times have slipped by an hour.

Unromantically, most seem to be rung by electric mechanisms rather than pious ringers, though there is one we can hear when the wind is from the south-east that sounds a bit haphazard, so may still have a human hand involved.

Sadly, most of the churches that ring the Angelus seldom or never have a Sunday mass these days due to the falling numbers of parochial clergy.

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

From what I understand from you all is that one doesn't HAFF to do it [a-hem, a-hem] religiously; ie 3X a day on the stroke of the hour a la Millet's farming couple.

That is very freeing...

Project still in planning stages (aiming for an Advent start) but thanks to all for your help, stories and experiences in the meantime...

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

I say it often - and not on any hour. When I was working in an office, I set my mobile to ring at noon to remind me to recite it.

When I was an MC at Pine Marten's church, it was my duty to ring the bell for the Angelus after mass. I had to squeeze in behind the organ to an dark space where the rope was. So some reason I found being in the dark like that very comforting, even when I was otherwise depressed.

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Angloid:
I admire the very Anglican restraint of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, who toll the bell for the angelus while the community are standing for the following office, and simply keep silence. Whether, or how, brethren say the traditional prayers is up to them, I presume.

Similar Anglican reserve is shown at St Stephen's House, where the Angelus is tolled five minutes before the Office. Silence is kept and whether the Angelus is said, or Greek verb lists recited, is up to the seminarian.

Thurible

Posted by Oblatus (# 6278) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Thurible:
Similar Anglican reserve is shown at St Stephen's House, where the Angelus is tolled five minutes before the Office. Silence is kept and whether the Angelus is said, or Greek verb lists recited, is up to the seminarian.

This is done at the ends of offices at Saint Meinrad Archabbey (RC Benedictine). I think the monks are leaving their stalls during it, so those monks who wish to pray the Angelus need to do it in transit.

Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :

Aren't the Angelus and the Rosary a sort of substitute for the divine office.

The monks, having done their bit, really needn't stick around.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Thurible:

quote:
Originally posted by Angloid:
I admire the very Anglican restraint of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, who toll the bell for the angelus while the community are standing for the following office, and simply keep silence. Whether, or how, brethren say the traditional prayers is up to them, I presume.
Similar Anglican reserve is shown at St Stephen's House, where the Angelus is tolled five minutes before the Office. Silence is kept and whether the Angelus is said, or Greek verb lists recited, is up to the seminarian.

Thurible

I may often have felt cross when revising my NT Greek but I don't think I ever crossed myself during them.

Posted by sebby (# 15147) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Oblatus:

quote:
Originally posted by Thurible:
Similar Anglican reserve is shown at St Stephen's House, where the Angelus is tolled five minutes before the Office. Silence is kept and whether the Angelus is said, or Greek verb lists recited, is up to the seminarian.
This is done at the ends of offices at Saint Meinrad Archabbey (RC Benedictine). I think the monks are leaving their stalls during it, so those monks who wish to pray the Angelus need to do it in transit.

On the other hand, I understand that at Chichester in the 80s the Angelus was rung three times a day and at midday, students ending a lecture would turn to the statue of the Virgun and Child and the lecturer would lead the recitation. A lecture might begin with the prayer of St Bede.

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