The Angelus is a centuries-old Catholic devotion that recalls the annunciation of Christ’s birth by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.

Named for the opening words of the devotion's first prayer in Latin, “The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,” the Angelus is typically prayed at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. each day. It takes about two minutes. What better way to prepare for the coming of Christ Incarnate than to pray this beautiful devotion with thousands of others each day?

Jared Dees, Catholic author and creator of the popular The Religion Teacher website, wants Catholics to incorporate the Angelus in to their prayer lives during Advent. Already almost 500 people have committed to opening themselves up to “let it be done” according to God’s Word.

The goal is to help others experience a deep conversion as they prepare for Christ’s birth. “The mystery of this prayer is that God works through the words that you say even when you do not realize it,” Dees said. “That openness leads to things you may least expect.”

Anyone who joins the Advent Angelus movement will have access to resources and periodic mediations on the devotion throughout the season. Many of the reflections are included in Dees’ forthcoming book from Ave Maria Press, Praying the Angelus (March 2017), but others are unique for Advent.

You can connect with The Advent Angelus community on the website AdventAngelus.com or on The Angelus Prayer Facebook page, where Dees will lead the prayer on Facebook Live throughout Advent.

Earlier this year, Dees successfully spearheaded the Easter Evangelist movement—a campaign to extend 5,000 personal invitations to attend Easter Masses to those who are lukewarm about the faith or are fallen-away Catholics.

Dees is the creator of the popular website The Religion Teacher, which provides practical resources and effective teaching strategies to religious educators. A respected graduate of the Alliance for Catholic Education program at the University of Notre Dame, Dees earned master’s degrees in education and theology, both from Notre Dame. He has volunteered for and worked in a wide variety of Catholic ministries, including Catholic schools, parish religious education, youth ministry, campus ministry, RCIA, and adult faith formation.

Dees is the digital marketing manager at Ave Maria Press and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, and the forthcoming Praying the Angelus (March 2017). His articles have appeared in MomentumCATECHISTCatechetical Leader, and on numerous websites. Dees lives in South Bend, Indiana, with his wife and four children.