St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr († 304; Feast – January 21)
Adapted from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger OSB.
How rich is the constellation of Martyrs, which shines in this portion of the sacred Liturgical cycle!
Yesterday we had St. Sebastian; tomorrow we shall be singing the name which means Victory,
for it is the Feast of St. Vincent; and now today, between these two stalwart palm-branches,
we find the gentle St. Agnes decked with the roses and lilies of her virginity.
It is to a girl of thirteen that our Emmanuel gave this stern courage of martyrdom which made her meet the enemy
with as bold a front as either the valiant captain of the pretorian band or the dauntless Deacon of Zaragoza.
If they are the soldiers of Jesus, she is His tender and devoted Spouse. These are the triumphs of the Son of Mary!
Scarcely has He shown Himself to the world, and lo! every noble heart flies towards Him, according to that word of His:
Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together (Matt. 24: 28).
It is the admirable result of the Virginity of His Blessed Mother, who has brought honor to the fecundity
of the soul, and set it far above that of the body. It was Mary that first opened the way whereby certain chosen souls
mount up even to the Divine Son, and fix their gaze in a cloudless vision on His beauty; for He Himself said:
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God (Ibid. 5: 8).
What a glory it is for the Catholic Church, that She alone has the gift of this holy state of virginity,
which is the source of every other sacrifice, because nothing but the love of God could inspire a human heart to vow virginity!
And what a grand honor for Christian Rome that she should have produced a St. Agnes, that angel of earth,
in comparison with whom the Vestals of paganism are mere pretenses of devotedness, for their virginity was
never punished by fire and sword, nay, rather, was flattered by the recompense of earthly honors and riches!
Not that our Saint is without her recompense; only her recompense is not marred with the flaw of all
human rewards. The name of this child, who lived but thirteen short years, will be echoed, to the end of time,
in the Sacred Canon of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The path trod by the innocent maiden on the way to trial
is still marked out in the Holy City. In the Circus Agonalis (now the Piazza Navona), there rises the beautiful
Church of St. Agnes, with its rich cupola; and beneath are the vaults which were once the haunts of infamy,
but now are a holy sanctuary, where everything reminds us of her who here won her glorious victory.
Further up the Nomentan Road, outside the ramparts, is the beautiful Basilica, built by Constantine; and here,
under an altar covered with precious stones, lies the body of the young Saint. Round this Basilica there are immense crypts;
and in these did Agnes' relics repose until the epoch of peace, surrounded by thousands of martyrs, whose holy remains were
also deposited there.
Reliquary of the Skull of St. Agnes.
Nor must we pass over in silence the gracious tribute of honor paid by Rome each year on this Feast,
to her beloved Martyr. Two lambs are placed on the altar of the Basilica Nomentana; they are emblems of the meekness
of Jesus and the innocence of the gentle St. Agnes. After they have been blessed by the Abbot of the religious community
which serves this Church, they are taken to a monastery of nuns, where they are carefully reared. Their wool is used for
making the Palliums, which the Pope sends to all Patriarchs and Metropolitans (Archbishops) of the Catholic world,
as the essential emblem of their jurisdiction. Thus, this simple woolen ornament, which these prelates wear on their
shoulders as a symbol of the sheep carried on the shoulders of the good Shepherd, and which the Sovereign Pontiff takes
from off the Altar of St. Peter in order to send it to its destination, carries to the very ends of the world the sublime
union of these two sentiments – the vigor and power of the Prince of the Apostles, and the gentleness of St. Agnes the Virgin.
We will now quote the beautiful eulogy on St. Agnes written by St. Ambrose in his Book On Virgins
(b. 1 post initium). The Church gives almost the entire passage in Her Office of today's Feast;
and assuredly, the Virgin of Christ could not have had a finer panegyrist than the great Bishop of Milan,
who is the most eloquent and persuasive of all the Fathers on the subject of holy virginity.
We read that in the cities where St. Ambrose preached, mothers were afraid of their daughters being present at his sermons,
lest he should persuade them to such love of Christ as to choose the better part.
"Having resolved," says the holy Bishop, "to write a book on virginity, I think myself happy in being
able to begin it on the Feast we are keeping of the Virgin Agnes. It is the Feast of a Virgin; let us walk in the path of
purity. It is the Feast of a Martyr; let us offer up our Sacrifice. It is the Feast of St. Agnes; let men admire,
and children not despair; let the married wonder, and the unmarried imitate. But what can we speak worthy of the Saint,
whose very name is not void of praise? As her devotedness is beyond her years, and her virtue superhuman – so,
as it seems to me, her name is not an appellation, but a prophecy, presaging that she was to be a martyr."
The holy Doctor is here alluding to the word Agnus, from which is derived the name Agnes; and he says that the
young Saint had immolation in her very name, for it called her victim. He goes on to consider the other etymology of Agnes,
from the Greek word agnos, which means pure; and he thus continues his discourse:
"The maiden's name is an expression of purity. Martyr then, and Virgin! Is not that praise enough?
There is no praise so eloquent as merit that is too great to need seeking. No one is so praiseworthy
as he who may be praised by all. Now all men praise Agnes, for when they pronounce her name they say her praise,
for they say a Martyr.
"There is a tradition that she suffered martyrdom at the age of thirteen. Detestable indeed the cruelty
that spared not even so tender an age! but oh! the power of Faith, that could find even children to be its witnesses!
Here was a victim scarce big enough for a wound, for where could the sword fall? And yet she had courage enough to
conquer the sword.
"At such an age as this, a girl trembles if she but see her mother angry, and cries as though it were a
grievous thing if but pricked with a needle's point. And Agnes, who stands amidst the blood-stained murderers, is fearless!
She is stunned with the rattle of the heavy chains, and yet not a flutter in that heart! She offers her whole body to the
sword of the furious soldier, for though she knows not what death is, yet she is quite ready to endure it.
Perchance they will take her by force to the altars of their gods! If they do, she will stretch out her hands to Jesus,
and amidst those sacrilegious fires she will sign herself with that blessed sign, the trophy of our divine Conqueror;
and then, if they will, and they can find shackles small enough to fit such tender limbs, they may fasten her hands
and neck in their iron fetters!
"How strange a martyrdom! She is too young to be punished, yet she is old enough to win a victory.
She cannot fight, yet she easily gains a crown. She has but the age of a scholar, yet has she mastered every virtue.
Bride never went to nuptials with so glad a heart, nor so light a step, as this young Virgin marches to the place of
execution. She is decked not with the gay show of plaited tresses, but with Christ; she is wreathed not with flowers,
but with purity.
"All stood weeping; Agnes shed not a tear. Some wondered how it could be that she, who had but just begun
her life, should be as ready to sacrifice it as though she had lived it out; and everyone was amazed that she,
who was too young to give evidence even in her own affairs, should be so bold a witness of the Divinity.
Her oath would be invalid in a human cause; yet she is believed when she bears testimony for God.
Their surprise was just: for a power thus above nature could only come from Him Who is the Author of all nature.
"Her executioner does all he can to frighten her; he speaks fair words to coax her; he tells her of all
the suitors who have sought her as their bride; but she replies: 'The Spouse insults her Beloved if she hesitate.
I belong to Him Who first betrothed me; why, executioner, dost thou not strike? Kill this body,
which might be loved by eyes I would not wish to please.'
"She stood, she prayed, she bowed down her head. The executioner trembles, as though he himself were going
to be beheaded. His hand shakes, and his cheek grows pale, to strike this girl, who loves the danger and the blow.
Here, then, have we a twofold martyrdom in a single victim – one for her chastity, the other for her faith.
She was a Virgin before; and now she is a Martyr."
The Holy Roman Church sings on this feast the sweet Responsories in which St. Agnes expresses her tender
love of Jesus, and her happiness at having Him for her Spouse. They are formed from the words of the ancient Acts of her
Martyrdom, which were long attributed to the pen of St. Ambrose:
R. My Spouse has set precious stones on my right hand and around my neck; he has hung priceless pearls in my ears:
And He has laden me with beautiful and glittering gems. V. He has placed His sign upon my face, that I may have
none other to love me but Him.
R. I love Christ; I shall be the spouse of Him, Whose Mother is a Virgin, and Whose Father begot
Him divinely, and Who delights me with sweet music of organs and singers: When I love Him, I am chaste; when I touch Him,
I am pure; when I possess Him, I am a Virgin. V. He has betrothed me with the ring of His fidelity,
and has decked me with a necklace of priceless worth.
R. Milk and honey have I received from His lips; and His Blood has graced my cheek. V.
He has shown me incomparable treasures, and these has He promised to give me.
R. Already have I communicated of His Sacred Body, and His Blood has graced my cheek:
His Mother is a Virgin, His Father is God. V. I am espoused to Him Whom the Angels obey,
and Whose beauty the sun and moon admire.
This Sequence is from the pen of Adam of Saint-Victor, and is one of his finest. It, too,
is based on the Acts of the Saint's martyrdom:
Let us gain courage for our own battle by honoring the martyrdom of the glorious Virgin Agnes.
Let us look at this sweet flower of our feast, and inhale into our souls the virtues of its fragrance.
Agnes was fair and wise and rich, and had reached her thirteenth year.
The Prefect’s son saw and loved her; but the maiden could not be induced to grant his suit.
How great is the power of Faith! How wonderful is Virginity! How admirable the purity of a virgin’s heart!
‘Tis thus that Jesus, by a wonderful dispensation, shows Himself strongest in the weakest.
Sick, then, with love, the suitor takes to his bed; his sickness is made known to the Prefect; the cure is prepared.
Gifts in abundance, promises without end; but giver and gifts, both are perishable things; and Agnes thought both beneath her.
The Prefect condemns her to the worst of insults; Christ protects her with the flowing tresses of her head, and a garment He sends her from Heaven.
He sends an Angel to stand by her. The den of infamy becomes a mansion of light; and consternation checks the wanton crowd.
The blind suitor is angry, and rushing at his prey, is choked by a wicked spirit.
The father mourns, and all mourn; Rome wept for the death of the young man.
Agnes raises him to life; the crowd is in confusion, and prepares a fire on which to burn the Virgin.
The fire burns the guilty; the flame rages against them, and avenges the honor of God.
The Saint gives thanks to her Savior; offers her head to the executioner, and dies fearlessly, for her purity was safe.
O Agnes, standing at the right hand of the Lamb, thy Savior, thou art now in glory, and thou consolest thy parents, inviting them to bliss.
Thou dost bid them not mourn for thee as for one that was now dead, for that thou wast now united to the heavenly Spouse: and He, under the form of a Lamb, reveals to them His own and thy virginal glory.
Suffer us not to be separated from the Lamb, our Savior, to Whom thou didst consecrate thy whole being; and by Whose power thou didst heal the lady Constance.
Vessel of election! vessel of honor! flower of unfading fragrance! beloved of the choirs of Angels! thou art an example to the world of virtue and chastity.
O thou that wearest a Martyr's palm and a Virgin's wreath! pray for us, that, though unworthy of a special crown, we may have our names written in the list of Saints. Amen.
How sweet and yet how strong, O St. Agnes! is the love of Jesus, thy Spouse! It enters an innocent heart,
and that heart becomes full of dauntless courage! Thus was it with thee. The world and its pleasures, persecution and
its tortures, all were alike contemptible to thee. The pagan judge condemned thee to an insult worse than a thousand deaths,
and thou didst not know that the Angel of the Lord would defend thee! How is it that thou hadst no fear? It was because
the love of Jesus filled thy heart. Fire was nothing; the sword was nothing; the very hell of men's making,
even that was nothing to thee! For thy love told thee that no human power could ever rob thee of thy Jesus;
thou hadst His word for it, and thou knewest He would keep it.
Dear Child! innocent even in the capital of pagan corruption, and free of heart even amidst a slavish race,
we see the image of our Emmanuel in thee. He is the Lamb; and thou art simple, like Him: He is the Lion of the Tribe of Juda;
and like Him thou art invincible. Truly these Christians, as the pagans said, are a race of beings from Heaven to people
this earth! A family that has martyrs and heroes and heroines like thee, brave Saint! that has young virgins, filled,
like its venerable pontiffs and veteran soldiers, with the fire of Heaven, and burning with ambition to leave a world
they have edified with their virtues, is God’s own people, and it never can be extinct. Its martyrs are to us the
representation of the divine virtues of Our Lord Jesus Christ. By nature they were as weak as we; they had a disadvantage
which we have not (but which we are approaching closer to with every passing year) – they had to live in the very
thick of paganism, and paganism had corrupted the whole earth; and notwithstanding all this, they were courageous and chaste.
Have pity on us and help us, O thou, one of the brightest of these great Saints! We are affected and shed
tears at the recital of thy heroic conduct; but we are cowards in the battle we ourselves have to fight against the world
and our passions. Habitual seeking after ease and comfort has fastened upon us a certain effeminacy: we are ever throwing
away our interest upon trifles; how can we have earnestness and courage for our duties? Sanctity! we cannot understand it;
and when we hear or read of it, we gravely say that the Saints did very strange things and were indiscreet,
and were carried off by exaggerated notions! What must we think, on this thy Feast, of thy contempt for the world and all
its pleasures, of thy heavenly enthusiasm, of thy eagerness to go to Jesus by suffering? Thou wast a Christian, St. Agnes!
Are we too Christians? Oh! pray for us that we may love like Christians, that is, with a generous and active love,
with a love which can feel indignant when asked to have less detachment from all that is not God. Pray for us,
that our piety may be that of the Gospel, and not the fashionable piety which pleases the world, and makes us pleased
with ourselves. There are some brave hearts who follow thy example; but they are few; increase their number by thy prayers,
that so the Divine Lamb may be followed, whithersoever He goeth in Heaven, by a constant number of virgins and martyrs.
Innocent Saint! we meet thee each year at the Crib of the Divine Babe, and we delight, on thy Feast,
to think of the wonderful love there is between Jesus and His brave little Martyr. This Lamb is come to die for us too,
and invites us to Bethlehem; speak to Him for us; the intercession of a Saint who loved Him as thou didst can work wonders
even for such sinners as we. Lead us to His sweet Virgin-Mother. Thou didst imitate Her virginal purity; ask Her to give
us those powerful prayers which can cleanse even worse hearts than ours.
Pray also, O St. Agnes! for Holy Church, which is the Spouse of Jesus. It was She that gave thee to be His,
and it is from Her that we also have received our life and our light. Pray that She may be blessed with an ever-increasing
number of faithful virgins. Protect Rome, that city which guards thy relics, and loves thee so tenderly.
Bless the Prelates of the Church, and obtain for them the meekness of the Lamb, the firmness of the Rock,
the zeal of the Good Shepherd for His lost sheep. And lastly, O spouse of Jesus! hear the prayers of all who invoke thee,
and let thy charity for us thy exiled brethren learn from the Heart of Jesus the secret of growing more ardent as the world
grows older.
Back to "In this Issue"
Back to Top
Back to Saints
NEW: Alphabetical Index
Contact us: smr@salvemariaregina.info
Visit also: www.marienfried.com
