[blackpacific]

Well, Jesus said He would be with us all days, even until the consummation of the world (Matt 28:20). When we make the Sign of the Cross when passing a Catholic or Orthodox church, we are acknowledging His True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. We have God in a box. The presence of God in the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament was only a shadow of what we have now. We do not bless ourselves when passing protestant churches, for they are empty.

The Angelus was instituted by the Church to counteract the muslim prayers three times a day by a confession of belief in the Incarnation. This was during a time in the history of Europe where it was not certain if Christianity would survive he muslim onslaught. It was a prayer against that devil sect. Here are the words:

P: “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary”
R: “And she conceived of the Holy Ghost”,
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee....

P: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”.
R: “Be it done unto me according to the Word”.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee...

P: “And the Word was made flesh”.
R: “And dwelt among us”.
Hail Mary...

P: “Pray for us O Holy Mother of God”
R: “That we will 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.

These are blessed customs, based upon events in the Gospel, that bring our hearts to meditate upon Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator and our Redeemer.

[ealgeone]

Well, Jesus said He would be with us all days, even until the consummation of the world (Matt 28:20). When we make the Sign of the Cross when passing a Catholic or Orthodox church, we are acknowledging His True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Is He not always with us??? In us? And we in Him??

Or do you believe He is only inside the building itself...or as you noted..."God in a box." One of the most preposterous things I ever read.

[ealgeone]

Your rendering of the passage in Luke is not accurate as you have added to the passage. Praying to Mary was not a part of the New Testament church nor is it attested to in the New Testament.

Reliance upon Mary for deliverance from Islam was a false practice if that is the reason for the Angelus. I am reading other historical accounts that do not agree with your posting on the origins of the Angelus.

[Bigg Red]

Thank you for that history regarding the “Angelus”. I did not know that about this beautiful prayer.

[boatbums]

We have God in a box.

No, you don't.