Saint of the Day: St. Agnes

Virgin and Martyr (d. 304)

Her life

+ Agnes—whose name means “lamb”—suffered martyrdom during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian.

+ According to ancient and reliable traditions, she was around 12 years of age when she died and she is one of the most celebrated Roman martyrs. Reflecting on her death, Saint Ambrose wrote, “she went to the place of execution, more cheerfully than others go to their wedding.”

+ Agnes was buried on the Via Nomentana and the Emperor Constantine built a basilica in her honor over her tomb. Her feast has been celebrated by the Church since around the year 350 and her name is included in the Roman Canon (the “First Eucharistic Prayer”).

For prayer and reflection

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.—2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Spiritual bonus

On this day we also remember the Benedictine monk and martyr Saint Meinrad. Murdered by two bandits to whom he had welcomed into his hermitage on January 21, 861, he has come to be honored as the patron saint of hospitality. In 934 a new monastery—the celebrated Abbey of Einsiedeln—was built on the site of his hermitage.

Religious Life

To learn about the Sisters of St. Agnes, visit: www.csasisters.org

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God,
who choose what is weak in the world to confound the strong,
mercifully grant,
that we, who celebrate the heavenly birthday of your Martyr Saint Agnes,
may follow her constancy in the faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.