Edited by Emmanuel Gandu
INTRODUCTION
From Holy Saturday to Pentecost we sing or recite one of the Church’s most joyful anthems, the Regina Caeli (O, Queen of Heaven) and it is customarily said in place of the Angelus at the stipulated times the Angelus was said; in the Morning by 6:00am, Afternoon by 12:00noon and in the Evening by 6:00pm.
SIGNIFICANCE / MEANING OF THE REGINA CAELI FOR CATHOLICS.
(1) The ‘Regina Caeli’ prayer is to rejoice with Our Blessed Lady that her Son, after a grueling passion and frightful death, is alive again. While the prayer of the Angelus celebrates Jesus’ Incarnation, the Regina Caeli celebrates His Resurrection and “congratulates” the Mother on her Son’s victory over sin and death.
(2) The ‘Regina Caeli’ prayer gives us assurance that Jesus is truly risen. This also reflects the journey that all the disciples had to undertake, encountering the Risen Christ and thus leaving behind their doubt to become the witness of Christ.
(3) The prayer recalls to us what the season of Easter is all about. We offer joyful praise to God with the word “alleluia” six different times.
(4) We proclaim different variations of the word “joy” five consecutive times (rejoice, rejoice, glad, joy, joys).
(5) The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, is invited to rejoice at the Resurrection of her Son.
(6) We ask God the Father that, as we have been filled with joy through the Resurrection, so we may come to experience the joys of eternal life.
(7) We too are rejoicing as we commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus and are moved to ask for our own resurrection to eternal happiness in Heaven.
GLORY TO JESUS
Peace 🙏
