a) What is the Angelus and Regina Coeli?
The Angelus is a short prayer in which we remember the vocation (calling) of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of Jesus and our Mother. At that very moment, Jesus Christ our Savior was made man in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit.
During Eastertide, we pray the Regina Coeli instead of the Angelus. This is a hymn of joy over the resurrection of our Lord, who has defeated Satan and has saved us through his death. The final petition is our desire to obtain the joys of eternal life in heaven.
b) How do we pray the Angelus or Regina Coeli?
These prayers (see Appendix) can be said at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and at 6:00 p.m., depending on the customs of the place. In many parishes, the church bells are rung at these hours to remind us to say these prayers.
An Altar Server could think about his own vocation each time he prays the Angelus or the Regina Coeli. Through baptism, God has called us all to become good Christians, to become saints here on earth by doing our daily activities well. Many Altar Servers are called to become priests. An Altar Server should always ask from God this great gift of vocation to the priesthood. Like Mary, we should always say “yes” immediately to all that God asks of us.