Saint Agnes
Feast day: January 21
Saint Agnes, a young Roman girl who bravely died a martyr, faithful to Jesus (21/01)
Who is she?
Saint Agnes was a young girl in the city of Rome who lived at a time when Christians were persecuted, that is, arrested and attacked for their faith. She was martyred when she was very young. Since ancient times, the faithful of Rome have loved her, and many Church Fathers, like Saint Ambrose, wrote in praise of her courage.
Life story
She lived around the end of the third century and the beginning of the fourth, under the emperor Diocletian. At that time, anyone who admitted being a Christian could be arrested, questioned and killed.
According to tradition, Agnes was the daughter of a noble Roman family, beautiful and gentle. Many young men wanted to marry her, but she refused, because she wanted to belong entirely to Jesus. Someone who was angry about this reported her as a Christian.
She was brought before a judge. They coaxed her, then threatened her in every way, trying to make her offer incense to the pagan gods. A girl of only about 12 or 13, standing among powerful grown-ups, she calmly said no. She would rather die than abandon the Lord. According to tradition, she was killed with a sword around the year 304.
She was buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome. Today, there is a church there named after her. Every year on her feast day, two young lambs are blessed. Their wool is used to weave pallia, small woolen bands that the Pope gives to the Archbishops who lead a church province.
Why is she a saint?
Saint Agnes loved Jesus more than anything: more than beauty, more than riches, more than her own life. She was young, but her faith was very strong. She did not take revenge or hate anyone; she simply stayed faithful to the Lord with all her heart. That is why the Church honors her as a virgin and martyr, and mentions her name in Eucharistic Prayer I at Mass.
A lesson for you
- Remember that you are not too young to love God. Today, you can do something good for him.
- When friends invite you to do something wrong, bravely say “no,” even if you are the only one.
- Keep your heart pure in what you say, what you do and what you watch.
Identifying marks
- A white lamb held in her arms: her Latin name (Agnes) sounds like the word “agnus,” meaning lamb; the lamb also speaks of purity and recalls Jesus, the Lamb of God.
- A martyr’s palm branch: she died for the faith and shares in the victory with God.
- A white dress and white veil: the color of a virgin who gave her whole heart to God.
- A sword (*): according to tradition, she was killed with a sword.
(*) Only in some pictures and statues.
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