During this beautiful month of October we celebrate so many wonderful feast days including recently both the Feast of the Archangels and the Feast of The Guardian Angels. With angels on our mind and our liturgical calendar, here’s a video explaining how to attend the Sunday mid-day prayer in St. Peter’s Square with the Pope. This prayer, called the Angelus, honors Mary’s “fiat”, or “yes,” to the angel Gabriel announcing Jesus’ coming birth. It commemorates the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ, and pays homage to Mary’s role in salvation history.
Throughout history, church bells often were rung mid-day across Italy, typically as a reminder the Angelus is to be prayed. The Angelus is considered to be like a heavenly messenger, calling to interrupt your day, in order to pray and turn your hearts and minds to God, his Blessed Mother, and your eternal destiny with them in heaven. The basis of this prayer is three Hail Marys, and the practice of reciting them three times in a row dates back to the 12th century. One of the most beloved saints of Italy, St. Anthony of Padua was one of the prayer’s most ardent advocates. He strongly recommended the Angelus be prayed to help us find God in the middle of our day. If you are not familiar with this prayer, CLICK HERE to learn more about it, as well as the most famous angelic prayers.
If you are headed to Rome, and want to see the Pope and get those religious items blessed but don’t have the time, or won’t be in Rome for the weekly Wednesday General Audience, no worries. There are other ways to see the Pope and pray with him as well. I interviewed a local tour guide who explained insider tips in seeing the Pope on Sunday to pray the Angelus, and how best to make the most out of this beautiful prayer experience in St. Peter’s Square.