Pleasantries: Radishes and the Angelus

I had a most enjoyable dinner this evening at the home of my parishioners, Bob and Mary.  The conversation was relaxed and casual.  The food was divine (and healthy!).  We had vegetable lasagna and salad. Yummy.  The salad had radishes in it.  I really enjoy radishes, but I seldom if ever cut them up in my salads at home.  Why?  Who knows.  Perhaps because I am too lazy, or perhaps because I never think to buy them.  Regardless of the reason, having radishes at Bob and Mary's is one of those pleasantries to which I always look forward. 


My mom loved radishes.  She stopped eating them when she died.  My granny loves radishes but had to stop eating them when she lost all her teeth.  She won't let me buy her dentures. "A 94's year old lady doesn't need to waste money on teeth," she tells me.  She also told me that she quit her job today.  Too cute.  She is feisty, but she has dementia.


So I chew radishes for my mom and my grandmother.  The red reminds me of the Precious Blood.  The white interior reminds me that our sins though as scarlet are as white as snow or radishes.  Crunching on them reminds me to be thankful for my teeth!  


I love going to eat with these friends for the conversation, the radishes, the healthy food and the grace of a friendship that has built over the last 16 years.  There is one more reason I love going there.  We always pray the Angelus together before we eat.  I love the Angelus.  I even set my I-Phone to remind me to pray the Angelus at noon and six.  


I don't think many people remember the Angelus.  It goes like this:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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.

In the Name of the Father… Amen.

"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).