[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.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 19:3-12
In that time, there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And so on.
_
Homily by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of (Constantinople.)
!63th on Matthew.
Seeing that directly to exhort them unto virginity was well-nigh more than they could bear, our Lord seeketh to draw them to the desire thereof, taking occasion by the needfulness of a law against divorce. Then He showeth that virginity is possible, saying There are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb; and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. In these words He persuadeth them indirectly to choose virginity, while He teacheth them that such a gift is not so good as to be impossible.

[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.

[Lectio8]
This doctrine He establisheth somewhat thus. Supposing that thou hadst been born a eunuch by nature, or hadst been made a eunuch by the cruelty of men, so that thou hadst no sexual enjoyment, and hadst no credit for having none, what wouldest thou do? Give God thanks therefore, that thou dost, for a reward and a crown, what such others suffer with no reward and no crown yea, and that, rather a lighter burden than the same, and that not only because thou hast the joy of hope, and of knowing that thou doest well, but also because thou art not so battered by storms of desire as they are.

[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.

[Lectio9]
When, therefore, He had spoken of such as are eunuchs by nature, or by mutilation, and are eunuchs vainly and uselessly, unless they also bridle their thoughts, and of such as deny themselves for the kingdom of heaven's sake, He added He that is able to receive it, let him receive it, that He might make them the readier by showing the very sternness of the work, and, in His unspeakable goodness, He would not include any such precept within the requirements of the law, and, by saying this, showeth it to be the more possible, that He might increase the desire of freely choosing it.
&teDeum

[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.