The Angelus.

 

The Angelus is a beautiful prayer proclaiming the Mystery of the Faith, that through the Virgin's "yes" to the angel's annunciation, the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:14)
The tradition of praying the Angelus started in the thirteenth century, and by the sixteenth century it had become a custom to pray the Angelus three times a day, At six in the morning, at noon, and at six in the evening. The church bells tolled in those hours to remind the faithful to stop and pray this Marian devotion.
The nineteenth century artist Jean-Francois Millet  immortalized this beautiful and holy tradition in his famous painting above. Two farmers working in the field stop their work to pray at the sound of the bells. Upon meditating on the painting, one can sense the deep devotion of the faithful peasants, and one can almost hear the bells tolling from the distant country church in the background. The famous painting is now displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The Church attaches an indulgence of 100 days and plenary indulgence once a month granted to those who pray the angelus everyday.

Here is the prayer:

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 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. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, 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. 

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"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) 

 "Blessed are you among women,
 and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42). 

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