Finding time to pray is certainly difficult. As I have advocated before, it is essential to create your own daily schedule of prayer. However, sometimes we don’t know where to start and only have a vague idea of what we want to do.
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One excellent idea that will get you started and help sanctify your day in a simply way is by taking up the ancient practice of the Angelus.
But what is the Angelus? How do I pray it devoutly?
For that I highly recommended Jared Dees’s latest book, Praying the Angelus: Find Joy, Peace, and Purpose in Everyday Life. It is a short book that delivers a wealth of spiritual information on the beloved tradition of the Angelus.
Besides briefly explaining the history of the Angelus, Dees gives his personal account of how he discovered the prayer and implemented it in his life. This is where the book shines, as it reveals the abundance of spiritual fruit that can be gained by implementing this ancient practice into a person’s spiritual life.
The official description of the book gives more information on what is packed inside the pages.
Dees introduces the Angelus devotion and explores its rich history and significance for the Church. As spiritual companion and guide, he offers meditations on the words and images of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli, which is prayed during the Easter season. We find lessons about the power of repetitive prayer, the humility of being a disciple, the importance of admitting time belongs to God, the wisdom of taking time with discernment, and the joy of resting in the Lord’s presence. He shares personal stories of the life-change power of the Angelus and guides both newcomers and those already familiar with the prayer to contemplate the mysteries of salvation that lie at the heart of the devotion–the Annunciation, Incarnation, and Resurrection.
Named for the opening words of the devotion’s first prayer in Latin, “The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,” the Angelus is typically prayed at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. each day. Likewise the Regina Caeli is named for the opening lines of its prayer, “Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.”
Praying the Angelus is supported by Dees’s website, TheAngelusPrayer.com, where people can gather online to participate in and share this devotion with others.
In addition to his own personal story, Dees goes on to give beautiful reflections on the various parts of the Angelus prayers that adds another dimension to the prayer that many probably never thought existed.
In the end, Dees does an excellent job making new the Angelus and provides a wonderful introduction to the prayer that will surely bolster anyone’s daily prayer life, especially those wanting to develop a daily schedule of prayer.
