What is the history behind Angelus prayer?

Question

In Roman Catholicism the faithfuls are supposed to say Angelus prayer thrice a day and at designated time of the day. When and how saying of Angelus came into being and what is the history behind it?

Answer 1

V.-Leader says

R.-All say

V. The Angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary,

R. And she conceived from the Holy Spirit.

V. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. See the servant of the Lord;

R. Do to me according to your Word.

V. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. And the Word was made flesh,

R. And lived among us.

V. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. Pray for us, holy Mother of God.

R. So that we will be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Lord, through the angel's message we have come to know that Christ your Son became human. We pray to You, pour Your grace into our hearts so that by His cross and suffering we will be brought to the glory of His rising from the dead, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

R.Amen.

Another Revision is as: [edit]

V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,

R. And she was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R. Be it done unto me according to thy Word.

V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. And the Word was made flesh.

R. And dwelt amongst us.

V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V. Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, your 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.

R. Amen.

The prayer is a simple recitation of the Biblical Tradition:

Luke 1:28, 35, 42 (and end of Jeremiah 37:3)

Luke 1:38

repeat Luke 1:42 & end of Jeremiah 37:3

then John 1:14

repeat Luke 1:42 & end of Jeremiah 37:3

Jeremiah 37:3 & Hebrews 13:18-19 & other places asking "Pray for us".

Hebrews 13:9-11

Almost any source on the subject introduces with the Catholic Encyclopedia quote "The history of the Angelus is by no means easy to trace with confidence, and it is well to distinguish in this matter between what is certain and what is in some measure conjectural."

The first record of such a prayer in writing comes from an Italian Franciscan monk Sinigardi di Arezzo (died 1282). The Angelus is used as the introduction to the Hail Marys in an 11th-century monastic custom of reciting three Hail Marys during the evening bell.

Answer 2

Yesterday during a short homily a priest made the comment that the Angelus was a tool to combat Islamic influence. Was it St. Francis of Assisi who claimed that the Islam would be converted through Mary? In any case it would be a startlingly good idea, I think, to restore the practice of saying the Angelus three times per day in order to combat the horrendous massacre that is now going on in the name of Islam.