Posted on 01/21/2006 7:19:49 AM PST by Salvation
Memorial of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr
Reading I
2 Sm 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27
David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites
and spent two days in Ziklag.
On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp,
with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.
David asked him, “Where do you come from?”
He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel.”
“Tell me what happened,” David bade him.
He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle
and that many of them had fallen and were dead,
among them Saul and his son Jonathan.
David seized his garments and rent them,
and all the men who were with him did likewise.
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening
for Saul and his son Jonathan,
and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel,
because they had fallen by the sword.
“Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul,
slain upon your heights;
how can the warriors have fallen!
“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished,
separated neither in life nor in death,
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions!
Women of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and in finery,
who decked your attire with ornaments of gold.
“How can the warriors have fallen–
in the thick of the battle,
slain upon your heights!
“I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother!
most dear have you been to me;
more precious have I held love for you than love for women.
“How can the warriors have fallen,
the weapons of war have perished!”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 80:2-3, 5-7
R. (4b) Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
O guide of the flock of Joseph!
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O LORD of hosts, how long will you burn with anger
while your people pray?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in ample measure.
You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
Gospel
Mk 3:20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
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From: 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27
David Learns of Saul’s Death
From: Mark 3:20-21
His Relatives Are Concerned About Jesus
| Saturday, January 21, 2006 St. Agnes, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial) (Week of prayer for Christian unity) |
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Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.
Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood.
Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.
Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 91 (92) |
|---|
| Praise of God, the Creator |
| It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your mercy in the morning and your faithfulness by night; on the ten-stringed lyre and the harp, with songs upon the lyre. For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation: I rejoice in the work of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how immeasurably deep your thoughts. The fool does not hear, the slow-witted do not understand. When the wicked sprout up like grass, and the doers of evil are in full bloom, it will come to nothing, for they will perish for ever and ever; but you, Lord, are the Highest eternally. For behold, Lord, your enemies, how your enemies will perish, how wrongdoers will be scattered. You will give me strength as the wild oxen have; I have been anointed with the purest oil. I will look down upon my enemies, and hear the plans of those who plot evil against me. The just will flourish like the palm tree, grow tall like the cedar of Lebanon. They will be planted in the house of the Lord; in the courts of our God they will flourish. They will bear fruit even when old, fresh and luxuriant through all their days. They will proclaim how just is the Lord, my refuge, for in him there is no unrighteousness. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Deuteronomy 32 |
|---|---|
| The things God has done for his people | |
| Listen, heavens to what I say; earth, hear the words of my mouth! Let my teaching fall like the rain, my speech descend like the dew, like a shower on the grass, like rain on the wheat. For I shall call on the name of the Lord: give praise to the greatness of our God! His works are like a rock: they are perfect, for all his ways are just. God is faithful, he can do no wrong: he is just and upright. They have sinned against him, they are no children of his – this filthy generation, wicked and perverse. Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and witless people? Is he not your father, who took charge of you, created you and made you exist? Remember the days of old: think upon each generation. Ask your father and he will tell you; ask your ancestors, and they will let you know. When the Most High divided the peoples, when he was separating the children of Adam, he laid down the boundaries of the people according to the number of the children of Israel: the Lord’s own portion was his people, Jacob the measure of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in a place of horror, in the howling wilderness. He protected him, looked after him, guarded him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle teaching its chicks to fly, hovering close above them, he spread out his wings and lifted him up, carried him on his back. The Lord alone led Jacob; no foreign god was with him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Psalm 8 |
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| The greatness of God, the dignity of man |
| How wonderful is your name over all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! How exalted is your glory above the sky! Out of the mouths of children and infants you have brought praise, to confound your enemies, to destroy your vengeful foes. When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you set in their place – what is man, that you should take thought for him? what is the son of man, that you should look after him? You have made him but one step lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour; you have set him over the works of your hands. You have put everything beneath his feet, cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the waters. How wonderful is your name above all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here. |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
|---|---|
| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God. |
| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
Recipes:
Prayers:
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January 21, 2006    Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr Old Calendar: St. Agnes
St. Agnes Agnes is one of the most glorious saints in the calendar of the Roman Church. The greatest Church Fathers vie with one another in sounding her praise and glory. St. Jerome writes: "All nations, especially their Christian communities, praise in word and writing the life of St. Agnes. She triumphed over her tender age as well as over the merciless tyrant. To the crown of spotless innocence she added the glory of martyrdom." Our saint's name should be traced to the Greek hagne - the pure, rather than to the Latin agna - lamb. But the Latin derivation prevailed in the early Church. The reason may have been that eight days after her death Agnes appeared to her parents with a train of virgins, and a lamb at her side. St. Augustine knew both derivations. "Agnes", he writes, "means 'lamb' in Latin, but in Greek it denotes 'the pure one'. The Latin interpretation occasioned the yearly blessing of the St. Agnes lambs; it takes place on this day in the Church of which she is patron, and the wool is used in weaving the palliums worn by archbishops and, through privilege, by some bishops. In the church built by the Emperor Constantine over the saint's grave, Pope Gregory the Great preached a number of homilies. Reliable details concerning the life of St. Agnes are very few. The oldest material occurs in St. Ambrose's De Virginibus, parts of which are read today at Matins. The value of the later (definitely unauthentic) "Passion" of the saint is enhanced by the fact that various antiphons and responsories in the Office are derived from it.
Incensed by her rebuff, Symphronius denounced Agnes to his father, the city prefect. When he threatened her with commitment to a house of ill fame, Agnes replied: "At my side I have a protector of my body, an angel of the Lord" (2. Ant., Lauds). "When Agnes entered the house of shame, she found an angel of the Lord ready to protect her" (1. Ant., Lauds). A light enveloped her and blinded all who tried to approach. Then another judge condemned her to the stake because the pagan priests accused her of sorcery.
After the flames died out, she continued: "I praise You, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, because by Your Son the fire around me was extinguished" (4. Ant., Lauds). And now she longed for union with Christ: "Behold, what I yearned for, I already see; what I hoped for, I already hold in embrace; with Him I am united in heaven whom on earth I loved with all my heart" (Ben. Ant.). Her wish was granted; the judge ordered her beheaded. —The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch Patron: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; bodily purity; chastity; Children of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; crops; engaged couples; gardeners; Girl Scouts; girls; rape victims; diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; virgins. Symbols: Lamb; woman with long hair and a lamb, sometimes with a sword at her throat; woman with a dove which holds a ring in its beak; woman with a lamb at her side. Things to Do:
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Patron: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; bodily purity; chastity; Children of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; crops; engaged couples; gardeners; Girl Scouts; girls; rape victims; diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; virgins...
Not much work in New York then.
Dear Salvation,
Today, As your Post so corrcectly indicates is the Solemnity of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. Therefore, I felt that today was the right day for all Catholic Freepers who love Father Altier's Homilies to pray for him.
I say, this because He is the Assistant pastor at Saint Agnes Church, in Minneapolis Saint Paul.
Please visit their web site which is www.stagnes.net.
It is a Beautiful Catholic Church which was built by German- American Catholic Immigrants and is the home of the world famous "Twin Cities Catholic Chorale". Their Recordings of the Orchestral Masses composed by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven , etc are out of this World.
Let us pray for a special blessing for Father Robert Altier today and for his Internet Ministry and his excellent homilies which he gives to the Catholic World at large to strengthen them in the faith.
In Jesus and Mary,
P.S.- Saint Agnes belongs to that famous group of Virgins and Martyrs like Saint Maria Goretti.
Faith sharing bump
| Mk 3:20-21 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 20 | And they come to a house, and the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. | et veniunt ad domum et convenit iterum turba ita ut non possent neque panem manducare |
| 21 | And when his friends had heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him. For they said: He is become mad. | et cum audissent sui exierunt tenere eum dicebant enim quoniam in furorem versus est |
**Therefore, I felt that today was the right day for all Catholic Freepers who love Father Altier's Homilies to pray for him.
I say, this because He is the Assistant pastor at Saint Agnes Church, in Minneapolis Saint Paul.**
Couldn't agree with you more. My childhood parish was also named St. Agnes.
Good to see you. Hope all is well today.
Thank you, yes, all is well. The Lord is good and has provided for my needs. He is an ever-present source of comfort and blessing.
Hope all is well with everyone reading this thread.
One of my relatives is taking a youth group there, they leave Sunday morning by bus, will stay overnight for the march on Monday the 23rd. Prayers requested for traveling mercies.
Our priest talked about the March on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and then made a plea for those who might have participated in any way in an abortion to come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
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Saturday, January 21, 2006 Meditation 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12, 19,23-27 Have you ever considered how valuable it is to have deep friendships? The relationship between David and Jonathan is one of the most touching—and best-known—examples of friendship in the Old Testament. Jonathan, the son of King Saul, loved David “as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1). He even saved David’s life on several occasions, against the wishes of his own father. David and Jonathon had stood by each other through victory and defeat, in good times and bad, and had become closer than brothers. So when David learned of Jonathan’s death, he grieved bitterly over the loss both to him and to all of Israel. In a world that prizes individualism, it can be hard to admit that we need other people in our lives. The world tells us to be self-sufficient and to look at others only for what they can do for us. We may even think there is something wrong with taking the risk of opening our hearts to someone else. But the truth is that we all need friends with whom we can share from the heart. We all need people who accept us and love us for who we are. We receive so many blessings through friends. How many times have you been touched by a friend’s display of generosity, and have been able to glimpse Christ through them? They may have spoken just the right word to you, or gone out of their way to help in a time of need. Or maybe you’ve had a disagreement—but even through trying to work things out, you both saw how the situation brought you closer to the Lord. A friend can help raise our eyes beyond our own narrow way of looking at things; they can be like a breath of fresh air when we feel burdened by the routines of daily life. Even married people need friends. Any married couple will tell you how friends play a vital role in keeping their marriages and families healthy. So treasure your friends, and ask God to help you deepen your relationships. What better way to have a concrete expression of his love and compassion? “Thank you, Lord, for the friends you have given to me. Help me to cultivate these relationships, and to set you as their foundation. May we all discover your presence and your blessings through one another.” Psalm 80:2-3,5-7; Mark 3:20-21 |
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From such liturgical sources we may construct the following "life of St. Agnes". One day when Agnes, then thirteen years old, was returning home from school, she happened to meet Symphronius, a son of the city prefect. At once he became passionately attracted to her and tried to win her by precious gifts. Agnes repelled him, saying: "Away from me, food of death, for I have already found another lover" (r. Ant.). "With His ring my Lord Jesus Christ has betrothed me, and He has adorned me with the bridal crown" (3. Ant., Lauds). "My right hand and my neck He has encircled with precious stones, and has given me earrings with priceless pearls; He has decked me with lovely, glittering gems (2. Ant.). "The Lord has clothed me with a robe of gold, He has adorned me with priceless jewels" (4. Ant.). "Honey and milk have I received from His mouth, and His blood has reddened my cheeks (5. Ant.). "I love Christ, into whose chamber I shall enter, whose Mother is a virgin, whose Father knows not woman, whose music and melody are sweet to my ears. When I love Him, I remain chaste; when I touch Him, I remain pure; when I possess Him, I remain a virgin" (2. Resp.). "I am betrothed to Him whom the angels serve, whose beauty the sun and moon admire" (9. Ant.). "For Him alone I keep my troth, to Him I surrender with all my heart" (6. Ant.). 
Surrounded by flames she prayed with outstretched arms: "I beseech You, Father almighty, most worthy of awe and adoration. Through Your most holy Son I escaped the threats of the impious tyrant and passed through Satan's filth with feet unsullied. Behold, I now come to You, whom I have loved, whom I have sought, whom I have always desired." She gave thanks as follows: "O You, the almighty One, who must be adored, worshipped, feared - I praise You because through Your only begotten Son I have escaped the threats of wicked men and have walked through the filth of sin with feet unsullied. I extol You with my lips, and I desire You with all my heart and strength."