Today is the feast of St. Agatha, a virgin martyr and saint of the Roman Canon.
Agatha was martyred in Sicily in about 251 during the time of the Emperor Decius and her tomb is at Catania.
In Rome there is a lovely little church dedicated to her, Sant’Agatha de’ Goti in the Suburra zone, which is the titular church of Card. Burke. There is also a town of the same name down near Naples which used to be the seat of a diocese of which St. Alphonsus Liguori was bishop. And the de’Goti does not refer to the Goths, either the tribe or the weird eye-makeup crew. It refers to a noble family from Gascony that were the locum tenentes.
Holy legend says that, despite her vow of virginity, Agata was pursued by a powerful man and eventually subjected to humiliations and tortures, including the cutting off of her breasts. She is a patroness of women who have been abused and also for breast cancer patients.
There is a beautiful little book available…
With Glory and Honor You Crowned Them: The Female Martyrs of the Roman Canon by Matthew Manint
We should increase our devotion to the martyrs, especially those of the Roman Canon.
We should increase our USE of the Roman Canon. Yesterday I posted about a video interview by Larry Chapp with Bp. Conley of Lincoln about liturgical matters. They agreed that we should get rid of Eucharistic Prayer II and return to greater use of the Roman Canon in the Novus Ordo. Of course this isn’t an issue in the Vetus, is it.
There are going to be hard days ahead, therefore.
Oremus.
Deus, qui inter cétera poténtiæ tuæ mirácula étiam in sexu frágili victóriam martýrii contulísti: concéde propítius; ut, qui beátæ Agathæ Vírginis et Mártyris tuæ natalítia cólimus, per eius ad te exémpla gradiámur.Let us pray.
O God, Who among other wonders of Your power have given the victory of martyrdom even to the gentle sex, graciously grant that we who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Agatha, Your Virgin and Martyr, may come to You by following her example. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
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I so love the Roman canon. Quite some time ago, I was at Mass where the priest used the Roman canon. I had a mental image of a high area in the church, such as a choir loft, with all those saints gathered there praying for us. It was amazing and emotional, reminding me of all that has been taken from us.
Then, again, there may not be hard days ahead — at least not here in Cincinnati. Virtually all of our recently ordained priests, i.e., those who received orders the past ten years, use the Roman Cannon exclusively. I don’t expect Fr. Polyester to start praying it, but he has less … staying power. By the way, a terrific explication of the Roman Canon was given by Thomas Howard in his neat little book on the Mass, “If Your Mind Wanders at Mass.”
I, too, love the Roman Canon. When I was married back in 1990, I insisted that the celebrant of my nuptials use Eucharistic Prayer I (The Roman Canon) AND list all the saints. He looked at me like I had two heads. I told him I was serious. He did it.
I’ve had a special devotion to St Cecilia since childhood and have always like to hear her name mentioned at Holy Mass. Call me sentimental.