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Show THE ANGELUS. The angelus is the Catholic practice of honoring God at morning, noon and night by reciting three Hail Marys together with sentences and a collect to express the Christian's rejoicing in the "mystery of "the incarnation. The first sentence begins "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae," whence the name of the devotion. A bell called the angelus bell rings at the several hours. The evening devotion was instituted by Pope John Nil in the fourteenth century, and was repeated through France and England at the first toll of the curfew bell. Louis IX instituted the noon angelus. which received papal sanction at the 'beginning of the sixteenth six-teenth century. In the fifteenth century at the first I toll of the angelus there was not a Frenchman, w hether in the streets or in his house, who did not immediately fall on his knees to pray. The royal ordinance ordi-nance reads, "It is ordained to all Frenchmen, knights, men at arms and civilians, to place themselves bo both ! knees at the sound of th midday bell, to bless themselves devoutly and offer prayer to our' lady, imploring peace and tranquillity." This is a proof that devotion to the Blessed Virgin waa fondly cherished at that time. |