[Rank] S. Agathae Virginis Martyris;;Duplex;;3;;vide C6b [Ant Vespera] Who art thou * who comest to heal my wounds? I am an Apostle of Christ, have no fear of me, my daughter. I have used no earthly medicine * for my body, but I have for a Master Christ Jesus, by Whose Word alone all things were made. O my Lord Jesus Christ, I thank thee, * because Thou hast been mindful of me, and hast sent unto me thine Apostle, to heal my wounds. I bless thee, O Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, because by thine Apostle Thou hast put new paps on my breasts. Upon Him Who hath vouchsafed * to heal me of all my wounds, and to put new paps on my breasts, upon Him will I call, even upon the Living God. [Ant 1] The blessed Agatha * stood in the midst of the prison, and stretched forth her~ hands, and prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord Jesus Christ, my Good Master, I~ thank thee because Thou hast made me to overcome the cruelty of the executioners~ and now, O Lord, may it please thee that I should happily attain unto thy glory,~ which fadeth not away. [Ant Matutinum] I am well born * and of a respectable family, as all my relations testify.;;1 The best of my birth is * that I was born the slave of Christ.;;2 I look like a slave * because I am one, the slave of Christ.;;3 V. In thy comeliness and thy beauty. R. Go forward, fare prosperously, and reign. The holy Agatha * said: Dost thou promise me beasts? When they hear Christ's name they grow tame.;;4 If thou put * the fire to me, Angels will bring me a saving dew from heaven.;;5 Agatha went to prison * with great joy and exultation, like a guest to a banquet, and recommended her struggle to the Lord in prayer.;;8 V. God shall help her with his strength; R. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. Unless thou make * the executioners to handle my body vigorously, my soul will not be able to enter into the Lord's paradise with the palm of martyrdom.;;10 O Lord, Thou hast seen * how I have fought, and how I have run in the race; but, because I would not obey the magistrates, they ordered me to be tortured in the breasts.;;14 Because of my chastity * they ordered me to be stretched upon the rack; help me, O Lord my God, for they are torturing my breasts.;;15 V. God hath chosen her and fore-chosen her. R. He hath made her to dwell in His tabernacle. [Responsory1] R. While the blessed Agatha was being grievously tortured in the breasts, she~ said to the judge: * Thou foul, cruel, and bloody tyrant, art thou not ashamed to do this to me,~ having thyself sucked at a mother's breast? V. I have breasts within, which have been the Lord's from my childhood, and them~ thou canst not mangle. R. Thou foul, cruel, and bloody tyrant, art thou not ashamed to do this to me,~ having thyself sucked at a mother's breast? [Responsory2] R. Agatha went to prison with great joy and exultation, * Like a guest to a banquet, and recommended her struggle to the Lord in prayer. V. She, the daughter of a most noble race, rejoiced when a vile person haled her~ to prison. R. She went like a guest to a banquet, and recommended her struggle to the Lord~ in prayer. [Responsory3] R. Who art thou, who comest to heal my wounds? I am an Apostle of Christ have no~ fear of me, my daughter He hath sent me to thee; * Whom thy soul and thy pure heart love. V. For I am His Apostle, and I bid thee know that thou art healed in the Name of~ Him. R. Whom thy soul and thy pure heart love. &Gloria R. Whom thy soul and thy pure heart love. [Lectio4] The Maiden Agatha was a Sicilian of noble birth. The citizens of Palermo and~ Catania dispute as to which city had the honour of being her birthplace. It was~ at Catania that, during the persecution under the Emperor Decius, she won the~ crown of a glorious martyrdom. She was equally celebrated for her beauty and her~ chastity, and Quintianus, Praetor of Sicily, conceived a passion for her. He~ tried every sort of device to overcome her modesty, and when he found it~ impossible to make her consent to his wishes, he caused her to be arrested on a~ charge of Christian superstition, and handed over to a woman named Aphrodisia to~ be corrupted. The company, however, of this woman had no effect in shaking her~ constancy in the Christian worship, nor her settled determination to preserve~ her purity. Aphrodisia therefore reported to Quintianus that she was only~ throwing away her pains on Agatha. He ordered her to be brought before him. Thou,~ said he, art the daughter of a noble family dost thou feel no shame in living~ the degraded and slavish life of a Christian? Agatha answered him, The lowliness~ and bondage of a Christian are far nobler than the estate and pride of a king. [Responsory4] R. But by the Lord's help I will continue to acknowledge Him Who hath saved me * And strengthened me. V. I thank thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, because Thou hast sent thine Apostle~ unto me to heal my wounds. R. And strengthened me. [Lectio5] Then the Praetor, being incensed against her, gave her the alternative of either~ sacrificing to the gods, or being submitted to the torture; and as she remained~ firm in the faith, she was buffeted and sent back to prison. The next day she~ was brought forth, and, because her resolution was still unshaken, she was~ stretched on the rack and tortured with pieces of white-hot metal. Then her~ breasts were cut off. When Agatha received this injury she cried out to~ Quintianus, Cruel tyrant, art thou not ashamed to do this to me, having thyself~ sucked at a mother's breast? She was remanded again to prison and put in irons.~ That night an old man, who called himself an Apostle of Christ, came to her, and~ healed her wounds. The following day she was brought for the last time before~ the Praetor. Her constancy was unmoved, and she was rolled on sharp potsherds~ and live embers. [Responsory5] R. He hath cured me Who hath sent His Apostle Peter to the prison to strengthen~ me, after I was ordered to be put on the rack. * Because of my chastity, help me, O Lord my God, for they are torturing my~ breasts. V. He hath vouchsafed to heal me of all my wounds, and to put new paps on my~ breasts. R. Because of my chastity, help me, O Lord my God, for they are torturing my~ breasts. [Lectio6] At that time the whole city was shaken with a great earthquake, and two of the~ Praetor's dearest friends, Silvinus and Falconius, were killed by falling walls.~ The townspeople were in an uproar, and Quintianus, in fear of a riot, ordered~ Agatha, who was half dead, to be carried back to prison quietly. Then she made~ the following prayer O Lord, Who hast been my Keeper from my childhood, Who hast~ taken from me all love for this present world, Who hast strengthened me so that I~ am more than conqueror over the cruelty of the executioners, receive my spirit,~ and with these words she passed to heaven. She finished her testimony on the 5th~ day of February, (in the year of our Lord 251.) Her body was buried by the~ Christians. [Responsory6] R. O Lord, Thou hast seen and known how I have fought, and how I have run in the~ race; but, because I would not obey the magistrates * They ordered me to be tortured in the breasts. V. Because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness, R. They ordered me to be tortured in the breasts. &Gloria R. They ordered me to be tortured in the breasts. [Responsory7] R. When the blessed Agatha came into the prison, she stretched forth her hands~ to God, and said O Lord, Who hast made me to overcome the cruelty of the~ executioners * May it please thee that I should attain unto thy mercy. V. O Lord, Who hast made me, Who hast taken from me all love for this present~ world, and Who hast saved my body from pollution, R. May it please thee that I should attain unto thy mercy. [Responsory8] R. I have used no earthly medicine for my body, but I have for a Master, Christ~ Jesus * By Whose Word alone all things are made. V. He hath vouchsafed to heal me of all my wounds, and to put new paps on my~ breasts, and upon Him will I call, even upon the Living God. R. By Whose Word alone all things are made. &Gloria R. By Whose Word alone all things are made. [Ant 2] The heathen multitude made haste * and came to the grave of the virgin, and took~ therefrom her veil wherewith to stem the fire; that the Lord might show Himself~ to be a Deliverer from the burning, for the sake of Agatha, His blessed Martyr. [Oratio] O God, Who, amidst the wondrous work of thy Divine power, dost make even weak~ women to be more than conquerors in the uplifting of their testimony, mercifully~ grant unto all us who do keep the Birthday of thy blessed handmaiden and~ witness Agatha, grace to follow her steps to thee. $Per Dominum [Lectio Prima] !Sir 51:8; 51:12 v. My soul shall praise the Lord even to death. How thou deliverest them that~ wait for thee, O Lord, and savest them out of the hands of the nations. [Capitulum Sexta] !Sir 51:4-5 v. And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy~ name, from them that did roar, prepared to devour. Out of the hands of them that~ sought my life, and from the gates of afflictions, which compassed me about. $Deo gratias [Lectio94] Agatha, born in Sicily of noble parents, suffered a glorious martyrdom at~ Catania In the persecution of the emperor Decius. For when Quintianus, the~ praetor of Sicily, had vainly tried every means to tempt her from her virginity,~ he had her arrested as adhering to the Christian superstition. First she was~ beaten, then tortured on the rack with white hot iron plates laid on her; then one~ of her breasts was cut off. Next she was thrown into prison, where St. Peter~ the Apostle appeared to her by night and healed her. Again called before the~ praetor she persevered in confessing Christ, and he had her rolled over broken~ pottery and burning coals. But then a great earthquake violently shook the city,~ and Quintianus, afraid of a riot among the people, gave orders that Agatha, now~ half dead, secretly be taken back to prison. There after a short time she went~ to heaven on February 5.