Why Are My Ears Ringing?

Nashotah House, thanks be to God, still maintains the ancient ritual of ringing the Angelus three times each day; once at 8:00 am, again at 12:30, and finally at 4:30 pm.

So first let me say that the Angelus is an ancient prayer used to mark the Incarnation of our Lord, the enfleshment of God Himself, without which humanity could not have been redeemed.


Typically it is recited whilst a bell – preferably a large one – is pealed. It takes its name from its opening in Latin, “Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ” (the angel of the Lord announced unto Mary).

Here is the full text in English with the number of rings indicated in parentheses:

Versicle: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
Response: And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary (1x), full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed (1x) art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus (1x).
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.

Hail Mary (1x), full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed (1x) art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus (1x).
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.

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

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. (Peal 18x).

I say all of this to reveal two things: first, this bell doesn’t ring itself. Yours truly has been ringing it all week! And may I just say that it has drastically enhanced my joie de vivre! And secondly, I would like to encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to do whatever it takes to re-remind yourselves of the Incarnation, even if it means ringing your own bell. I suspect, however, yours will not weigh two tons, save those of you with your own Chantry Chapels!

Seriously, though, do something three times a day to remind yourselves of the Incarnation, the Word that became flesh for our sake. Perhaps crossing yourself upon leaving your bed, once more at lunch, and then upon leaving the office is appropriate.

It would be prudent, moreover, at this juncture to remind my friends who tend to neglect the Incarnation to ponder it anew, for without the Incarnation there can, alas, be no atonement. And without the Atonement there is certainly no resurrection. And if there’s no real resurrection, we are, to quote St. Paul, “of all people most miserable”. Get the point?

Rejoice, I say! Peal the bells, bless the Lord! May all of creation rejoice, for the mystery of our Lord’s Incarnation is at hand!

Pax vobiscum…