January 21st - St Agnes of Rome

The feast of St. Agnes is of double rite and the liturgical colour of the day is red. St. Agnes was born in the third century and died at the age of twelve or thirteen, a martyr, under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304. The lessons of the Sunday, the Incipit of the Epistle to the Galatians are transferred to tomorrow.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Isti sunt sancti etc, from the Common of Several Martyrs, were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. From the chapter the Office was of St. Agnes. The Office hymn was Jesu corona Virginum and the antiphon on the Magnificat Beata Agnes etc, proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of SS Fabian and Sebastian and then of third Sunday after the Epiphany (the antiphon being Suscepit Deus). The Suffrages were omitted due to the double feasts as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Virginum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Jesu corona Virginum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Discede a me etc are sung with psalms 1 , 2 & 3. The lessons are Confitebor tibi Domine Rex from the Common of Non Virgins. These are the same as in later editions of the Breviary. The responsories are proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Induit me Dominus etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8. The historical lessons of the second nocturn are entirely different to those found in the later editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Cujus pulchritudinem etc are sung with psalms 14, 44 & 45. The homily is from St. Gregory on St. Matthew's Gospel. The lessons are longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions. The eighth and ninth are read together to form the eighth lesson and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily for the third Sunday after the Epiphany. This is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel and are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ingressa Agnes etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite 148-49-150. The Office hymn is Jesu corona Virginum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. The Suffrages are omitted.

At the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung in the usual order. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of Sunday, there in no third collect. The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Ingressa Agnes etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 147. The Office hymn is Jesu corona Virginum. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and the following Office of SS Vincent and Anastasia. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal