On January 21, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Agnes, often known as St. Agnes of Rome. She is the patroness of those seeking chastity and purity, engaged couples, rape victims, gardeners, young girls, and Girl Scouts. Symbols and representations of Saint Agnes include a woman with a dove, a woman with a crown of thorns, a woman with a palm branch, a woman with a sword at her throat, and a woman with a lamb. The imagery of lamb is significant because the name “Agnes” is similar to the Latin word “agnus,” which means “lamb”. For this reason depictions of Saint Agnes often include a lamb. The name actually comes from a Greek word, which means “chaste, pure, sacred”.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
DAILY NOVENA PRAYER:
O kind and protective Saint Agnes! Glorious Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ! In this solemn novena, dedicated to your glorious triumph, we humbly prostrate ourselves before you, certain that you will not deny us the graces we now ask of you.
Animated by your luminous examples and awakened by divine inspirations, we decide to dedicate ourselves sincerely to the service of God and to belong entirely to Him; we, therefore, wish to consecrate our hearts to Him. But, knowing our unworthiness, we dare not make such a miserable offer; therefore, we beseech and implore you to receive these hearts, thirsting for the purity of your merits, so that they may become worthy of being accepted by God.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY – PART 1
Agnes is one of the “virgin martyrs” of the church of Rome. She is one of seven women, in addition to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who are mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I). Saints Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Cecilia, and Anastasia are the other six. Agnes is a patron saint of chastity, gardeners, girls, Girl Scouts, engaged couples, and victims of rape.
There are a diversity of accounts of her martyrdom (by fire, or sword) from very early on, so it is hard to know much with certainty. The historical record of the specific circumstances/reasons for her martyrdom is also unclear. Most date her martyrdom to the year 304 under Emperor Diocletian, but the evidence again is not unanimous. All sources seem to agree that she was very young, 12-13 years old, when she was martyred, in the late 3rd or early 4th century. It is the tradition that she was martyred on January 21, and so her feast day is January 21. It was the custom in the early church to commemorate martyrs on the day of their birth into eternal life. However, her regular birthday, January 28 has also been commemorated in our church’s history… (To be continued)
- (Biography Culled from Catholic.org)
—SILENT REFLECTION—
DAY 1 PRAYER
O humble virgin martyr, Saint Agnes, we admire your unique purity, because despite having lived among idolatrous and corrupt people, you always had a great love for this angelic virtue, so that they could not snatch it away from you: not even the pleasures, nor honors and flatteries, nor threats nor torments, nor even death itself.
Oh! How much confusion your example causes us! By rebellion and obeying the impulses of pleasure, we have stained this lily of paradise.
Oh! Our patroness, present your Immaculate candor to Jesus, so that through it we may obtain the grace to weep over our sins and preserve them until death. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be… St. Agnes, pray for us!
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison, Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, the Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, consecrated to God in your youth, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, lily of virginal innocence, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, rose among the thorns of paganism, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, inflamed with the love of God, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, defender of the faith, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, adornment of the Christian nation, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, loathing the lure of the world and all its vanity, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, by the particular grace of God protected by the angel from the stain of sin, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, singular model of virginal purity, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, mirror of piety, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, example of obedience and mores, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, invaluable treasure of the Church of Christ, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, victorious over all temptations, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, adornment of the female gender, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, consolation of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, guardian of all virgins, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, virgin in soul and body, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, bride of the Savior of the world, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, betrothed to God with the ring of His Faith, Hope and Love, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, despising the earthly bridegroom for the love of God, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, reviving the dead young man through your prayers, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, not afraid of terrible torments, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, wishing with joy for death by martyrdom, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, condemned by the enemy to be burned, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, perishing from a murderous hand armed with steel, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, unparalleled in martyr’s patience, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, rare example of bravery and consistency, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, adorned with the palm of victory, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, rewarded with the crown of martyrdom, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, included in the fellowship of the martyrs of Christ, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, placed in the tabernacle of eternal glory, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, experienced Patroness in various adventures, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, consolation of God the Eternal Father, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, dwelling of the Holy Spirit, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, our Patroness, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Almighty eternal God, who in the midst of pagan darkness, having in particular care your faithful servant Saint Agnes, preserved her in innocence and gave her the crown of martyrdom in Your glory, we ask You humbly to deliver us through her intercession from the darkness of sin, and bring us through the road of virtue to the glory that she shares forever with You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Through the intercession of Saint Agnes of Rome, Virgin & Martyr, may Almighty God bless you + the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Shalom!
Compiled by Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora de Loreto, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?
God bless you Fr!
Amen
Another prayer/devotion I’m getting to know for the first time.
Thanks you ❤️
Saint Agnes, consecrated to God in your youth, pray for us.
Amen
Saint Agnes our patroness, hear our humble prayers and forgive our iniquities.
Amen.
Amen, St. Agnes, Pray for us.
Amen
As we commence this great novena to St. Agnes martyr and virgin, may the good Lord through her intercession grant us the grace to obtain purity of body and soul through Christ our Lord Amen.
Amen. St Agnes, pray for us
Saint Agnes pray for us.
Amen
St. Agnes… Pray For Us
Saint Agnes; pray for us,
Amen
Amen
Through the intersection of St Agnes, may Almighty God continue to shield us from the unknown. Amen.
Amen
St Agnes! Help us in our desire for the virtue of purity. Amen.
Your life inspires me.
Saint Agnes, rose among the thorns of paganism, pray for us.
Through the intercession of St. Agnes, virgin and Martyr, May God strengthen our resolve to overcome and shun every occasion sin in our lives, amen
St Agnes pray for us
St. Agnes, pray for your children especially that our conscience shall guide our votes.
So young and yet so holy. St. Agnes, help me be holy like you
Thank you Jesus!!! I pray for your grace all through st Agnes novena. Amen
Nice and lovely prayers
St Agnes, virgin and martyr, pray for us
St Agnes, through your intercession may we find favor with the Lord, receive our good hearts desires and obtain the grace of final perseverance through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, intercede for my home land Nise and my kindred youths who are backsliding into idolatry and paganism for conversion and fear of the Living God in them, amen!
St Agnes, Martyr and Virgin, pray for us.
St Agnes, Pray for Us
St Agnes, pray for us
St. Agnes Pray for us. I love the fact that this novena will help me amidst the challenges of 2023.
Amen and Amen
St. Agnes our patroness pray for us. Amen
Saint Agnes, pray for us.
This occf prayer encourages us to sit up in prayer & know more about saints
Am really thrilled by the life of St Agnes I never knew so much about her. St Agnes pray for me
St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, my patron Saint, I desire to have a personal encounter with. How I wish to see your beautiful face by the completion of this novena in your honour. Please pray for me and all the members of my family
St. Agnes of Rome, pray for us
Amen
Amen.
Amen
St Agnes pray for us
St. Agnes I beseech thee to help me reclaim my purity of heart, mind, and body
Amen.
St Agnes intercede for us
Almighty God that you deliver I and my family through her intercession of St Agnes from the darkness of sin, and bring us through the road of virtue to the glory that she shares forever with You, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
amen
Amen and Amen
St Agnes,pray for the youths for grace of chastity in a world that is fast sinking in immorality
Amen! St Agnes pray for us!
AMEN