INTRODUCTION
Today - January 21st - is the feast of St. Agnes - a well-known early
Christian martyr - whose dates are around 291-304.
She became well known down through the Christian
centuries.
Many babies were given her name at baptism. If you’re as old as I am, you too know someone
named, “Agnes.”
Many churches were
named after her as well.
Hey, we want to give people a good name and have an
advantage and example for goodness and holiness to be present in their lives.
An interesting sidebar is the practice of taking wool
from a sleep this day - and to use it to
make the so called “pallium” - a cloth pendant given to new archbishops by the
pope.
FOUR GREAT WINTER
WOMAN MARTYRS
Agnes is also one
of the 4 great early Christian woman martyrs of the winter months. Cecilia [November], Lucy [December], Agnes [January],
and Agatha [February].
Agnes - meaning lamb - is often pictured with a lamb in
her arms.
She was a young teenage girl - who declared her Christian
faith - and was murdered - martyred.
The legends are many
- men lusted after her - one became blind - prayed to her - and was
healed.
PATRON SAINT OF
PURITY
The history of the Catholic Church has stories and
examples of many saints and martyrs - who challenge us and are example of
particular virtues.
Agnes is one to pray to for chastity - holiness - and
strength with sexual temptations.
There is also the legend and the tradition for young single
women to pray to St. Agnes for a good husband to be. We see that in the long, long poem by John
Keats, The Eve of St. Agnes.
CONCLUSION
So that’s a few words about St. Agnes.
There is more - check her out in stories of Saints -
Virgins and Martyrs.
