De sancta Agnete virgine
The Meaning of Her Name
The name Agnes is interpreted through her virtues of humility, mercy, and her recognition of divine truth.
Agnes is called a lamb because she was gentle and humble, just like a lamb; or, it comes from a certain Greek word, agnos, which means holy, because she was pious and merciful. Alternatively, Agnes comes from a word meaning 'to know,' because she recognized the way of truth. Truth, however, according to Augustine, is the opposite of vanity, falsehood, and doubt, because she removed these three from herself through the virtue she possessed.
The Bride of Christ
Young Agnes rejects earthly marriage to pledge her life and love to Christ, her true Spouse.
Agnes was a deeply prudent virgin, as Ambrose testifies in his thirteenth book, where he records the account of her passion. At thirteen, she lost her life and found it. Though she was only a child in years, her mind held the wisdom of an elder; she was young in body but old in spirit, beautiful in face but even more beautiful in faith. While she was returning from school, the prefect's son fell in love with her. He promised her countless jewels and riches if she would not refuse to marry him. Agnes replied, "Get away from me, you fuel for sin, you nourishment of wickedness, you food for death, for I have already been claimed by another lover." She then began to praise her Lover and Spouse by the five qualities that brides especially seek in their grooms: nobility of birth, beauty of appearance, abundance of wealth, strength and power, and excellence of love. She said, "I love Him who is far nobler than you and more worthy in lineage; His mother is a virgin, His father knows no woman, angels serve Him, the sun and moon marvel at His beauty, His wealth never fails, His riches never diminish, at His scent the dead revive, by His touch the sick are strengthened, His love is chastity, His touch is holiness, and His union is virginity." She presents these five points with authority, asking, "Whose nobility is higher, whose power stronger, whose appearance more beautiful, whose love sweeter, and whose grace more elegant than His?" Next, she lists the five benefits that her Spouse bestowed upon her and bestows upon other brides: He betroths them with the ring of faith, clothes and adorns them with a manifold variety of virtues, marks them with the blood of His passion, binds them to Himself with the bond of love, and enriches them with the treasures of heavenly glory. She says: "He has betrothed my right hand with His ring, encircled my neck with precious stones, clothed me in a robe woven with gold, adorned me with immense necklaces, and placed a sign upon my face so that I might take no lover other than Him; His blood has adorned my cheeks. I am already bound by His chaste embraces; His body is already joined to my body. He has shown me incomparable treasures, which He has promised to give me if I persevere in Him."
Trials and Martyrdom
Agnes faces threats, the brothel, and fire, ultimately winning the crown of martyrdom through her steadfast devotion.
Hearing this, the foolish young man collapsed onto his bed, and it was revealed by his doctors that he was sick with love; when the young man's father repeated the same thing to the virgin and she asserted that she could not violate the vows of her former spouse, the prefect began to inquire who this spouse was, of whose power Agnes was boasting. When, therefore, someone asserted that she called Christ her spouse, he pressured her first with smooth words, and finally with threats. Agnes replied, "Do whatever you want, because you won't be able to get what you're looking for." She mocked him just the same, whether he was threatening or flattering her. The prefect said to her, "Choose one of two things: either sacrifice to the virgin goddess Vesta if you value your virginity, or you'll be debauched with the prostitutes." Because she was noble, he couldn't use force against her, so he confronted her with the charge of being a Christian. She replied, "I will neither sacrifice to your gods, nor will I be defiled by foreign filth, for I have with me a guardian of my body, the angel of the Lord." Then the prefect ordered her to be stripped and led naked to the brothel. But the Lord granted such thickness to her hair that she was better covered by it than by clothes. When she entered that place of shame, she found an angel of the Lord waiting, who filled the room with a brilliant light and had a pure white robe ready for her. And so the brothel became a place of prayer, so much so that she left it cleaner than she had been when she entered, for she gave honor to that immense light. The prefect’s son arrived at the brothel with some other young men and invited them to go in to her first. They went in, but were terrified by the miracle and returned with compunction. Meanwhile, he called them miserable, rushed in furiously to touch her, and fell into the light itself. Because he had not honored God, he was choked by the devil and died. When the prefect heard this, he came to her weeping bitterly and asked urgently about the cause of his death. Agnes told him, “The one whose will he wanted to carry out took power over him and killed him, for his companions, terrified by the miracle they saw, returned unharmed.” The prefect said to her, "It will be clear from this whether you did this by magic arts, if you can manage to bring him back to life." As Agnes prayed, the young man was brought back to life and publicly proclaimed Christ. At this, the temple priests stirred up a riot, shouting, "Get rid of the sorceress, get rid of the witch who changes minds and turns hearts away!" The prefect, however, having seen such a great miracle, wanted to set her free, but fearing a public outcry, he left his deputy in charge and, unable to save her, left in sadness. Then the deputy, named Aspasius, ordered her to be thrown into a great fire, but the flames split in two, burning the rioting crowd while not touching her at all. Aspasius then ordered a sword to be plunged into her throat, and in this way, the white and ruddy Bridegroom consecrated her as his own bride and martyr. It is believed she suffered during the time of Constantine the Great, who began his reign in the year of our Lord 309. When, therefore, the Christians and her parents were joyfully burying her body, they barely escaped the pagans who were throwing stones at them.
Signs and Miracles
Posthumous miracles, including the vision of the virgin choir and the healing of Constantia, confirm Agnes's heavenly status.
Emerentiana, her foster sister and a very holy virgin—though still a catechumen—was standing by her tomb and boldly rebuking the pagans when they stoned her. Immediately, God sent an earthquake, lightning, and thunder, and many of the pagans perished, so those who arrived later did not harm the virgin's beautiful body, and Emerentiana was laid to rest beside Saint Agnes. And when her parents were keeping watch on the eighth day, while they were keeping watch by the tomb, they saw a choir of virgins radiant in golden robes. Among them, they saw blessed Agnes shining in a similar robe, with a lamb standing at her right side, whiter than snow. She said to them, "Don't mourn me as if I were dead, but rejoice with me and congratulate me, because I have received a place of light with all of these." Because of this vision, the feast of Agnes is celebrated a second time. Constantia, a virgin and daughter of Constantine, was suffering from a severe case of leprosy. When she heard of this vision, she went to Agnes's tomb and, while she remained there in prayer, she fell asleep and saw the blessed Agnes saying to her, "Be constant, Constantia; if you believe in Christ, you'll be healed immediately." Waking at this voice, she found herself completely cured. She then received baptism, built a basilica over the body of the blessed Agnes, and, living there in virginity, she gathered many other virgins to join her by her own example. A certain man named Paulinus, who served as a priest in the church of Saint Agnes, began to be troubled by a remarkable temptation of the flesh; but because he did not want to offend God, he asked the Supreme Pontiff for permission to marry. The Pope, considering his goodness and simplicity, gave him a ring set with an emerald and issued an order. He told him to command the beautiful image of blessed Agnes, which was painted in her church, to allow herself to be betrothed to him on his behalf. When the priest gave this command to the image, she immediately held out her ring finger, and after the ring was received, she withdrew her finger and drove all temptation away from the priest. Nevertheless, it is said that the aforementioned ring still appears on her finger. Elsewhere, however, it is read that when the church of blessed Agnes was falling into ruin, the Pope told a certain priest that he wished to entrust a bride to him to be guarded and nourished—namely, the church of Saint Agnes—and giving him a ring, he ordered him to betroth the said image, which he did as she extended and withdrew her finger.
The Witness of the Saints
Ambrose reflects on the profound witness of Agnes, whose life transcends nature and age to mirror Christ.
Ambrose says of this virgin in his book On Virgins: 'Let the old sing of her, let the young sing of her, let the children sing of her; no one is more praiseworthy than she who can be praised by all; as many people as there are, so many are the heralds who proclaim the martyr while they speak.' Be amazed, everyone, that she who was not yet old enough to be the master of herself has already stood as a witness to the divinity. Finally, he acted so that people might believe in Him regarding God, even when they wouldn't yet believe in Him regarding man, because whatever is beyond nature comes from the Author of nature. She fulfilled the masterclass of virtue—a new kind of martyrdom, not yet fully capable of it, yet already mature in victory; difficult to struggle, but ready to be crowned—she who did not yet have the judgment of her age. A bride doesn't hurry to the wedding chamber as joyfully as this virgin proceeded to her execution, with quick steps and a happy outcome. Ambrose also says in the preface: 'Blessed Agnes, despising the pleasures of high birth, earned heavenly dignity; scorning the vows of human society, she was joined to the fellowship of the eternal King; by accepting a precious death for the confession of Christ, she was at once made like Him.'
Read the original Latin
Agnes dieta est agna, quia mitis et humilis, tamquam agna fuit, Vel a Graeco quodam agnos, quod est pius, quia pia et misericors exstitit. Vel Agnes ab agnoscendo, quia viam veritatis agnovit. Veritas autem secundum Augustinum opponitur vanitati et falsitati et dubietati, quia tria a se removit per virtutem, quam habuit.
Agnes virgo prudentissima, ut testatur Ambrosius, qui ejus passionem scripsit, XIII. anno aetatis suae mortem perdidit et vitam invenit. Infantia quidem computabatur in annis, sed erat senectus mentis immehsa, corpore juvencula, sed animo cana, pulchra facie, sed pulchrior fide. Quae dum a scholis revertitur, a praefecti filio adamatur. Cui ille gemmas et divitias innumerabiles promisit, si consensum ejus conjugio non negaret. Cui Agnes respondit: discede a me fomes peccati, nutrimentum facinoris, pabulum mortis, quia jam ab alio amatore praeventa sum, coepitque ipsum suum amatorem et sponsum à quinque commendare, quae sponsae in sponsis praecipue requirunt, scilicet a nobilitate generis, a decore pulchritudinis , a divitiarum abundantia, a fortitudine et potentiae efficacia et ab amoris excellentia, sic dicens: illum amo, qui longe te nobilior est et genere dignior, cujus mater virgo est, cujus pater feminam nescit, cui angeli serviunt, cujus pulchritudinem sol et luna mirantur, cujus opes nunquam deficiunt, cujus nunquam divitiae decrescunt, cujus odore reviviscunt mortui, cujus tactu confortantur infirmi, cujus amor castitas est, tactus sanctitas, unio virginitas. Haec autem quinque ponit in quadam auctoritate dicens : cujus generositas celsior, possibilitas fortior, adspectus pulchrior, amor suavior et omni gratia elegantior? Deinde ponit quinque beneficia, quae sibi sponsus contulit et aliis sponsis confert, scilicet quia eas fidei annulo subarrat, multiplici virtutum varietate eas vestit et ornat, passionis suae sanguine eas assignat, vinculo amovis eas sibi copulat et thesauris coelestis gloriae eas ditat, sic dicens: qui annulo suo subarravit dextram meam et collum meum cinxit lapidibus pretiosis, induit me ciclade auro texta et immensis monilibus ornavit me, posuit signum in faciem meam, ut nullum praeter eum amatorem assumam, et sanguis ejus ornavit genas meas; jam amplexibus ejus castis adstricta sum; jam corpus ejus corpori meo sociatum est; ostendit mihi thesauros incomparabiles, quos mihi se daturum, si in eo perseveravero, repromisit.
Audiens haec insanus juvenis lecto prosternitur el quod amore aegrotet, per alta suspiria a medicis aperitur, cumque paler juvenis eadem virgini replicaret et illa prioris sponsi foedera se violare non posse assereret, coepit praefectus inquirere, quis esset ille sponsus, de cujus se Agnes potestate jactaret. Cum ergo quidam assereret, quod Christum sponsum suum diceret, blandis prius sermonibus, demum terroribus eam pulsat. Cui Agnes: quidquid vis, age quia quod quaeris, non poteris obtinere. Ipsum enim terrentem et blandientem similiter deridebat. Cui praefectus: unum tibi de duobus elige, aut cum virginibus Deae Vestae sacrifica, si tibi virginitas placet, aut cum meretricibus scortaberis. Quia enim nobilis erat, vim sibi inferre non poterat et ideo titulum sibi christianitatis opposuit. Cui illa: nec sacrificabo Diis tuis, nec sordibus polluar alienis, mecum enim habeo custodem corporis mei, angelum domini.
Tunc praefectus jussit eam exspoliari et nudam ad lupanar duci. Tantam autem densitatem capillis ejus dominus contulit, ut melius capillis quam vestibus tegeretur. Ingressa autem turpitudinis loum angelum domini praeparatum invenit, qui locum claritate nimia circumfulsit sibique stolam candidissimam praeparavit. Sicque lupanar fit locus orationis, adeo ut mundior exiret, quam fuisset ingressus, qui immenso lumini dabat honorem. Praefecti autem filius cum aliis juvenibus ad lupanar venit et eos prius ad ipsam invitavit, Qui ingressi, sed ex miraculo territi, compuncti redierunt, quos ille miseros appellans et ad eam furens intrans cum eam vellet contingere, in ipsum lumen irruit. Qui cum Deo non dedisset honorem, praefocatus a dyabolo exspiravit. Quod praefectus audiens cum ingenti plorata ad eam venit et causam mortis ejus diligentius sciscitatur. Cui Agnes: ille, cujus voluntatem volebat perficere, potestatem in eum accepit et occidit, nam socii ejus de viso miraculo territi redierunt illaesi.
Cui praefectus: in: hoc apparebit, quod non magicis artibus hoc egisti, si impetrare poteris ut resuscitetur. Orante Agnete juvenis resuscitatur et Christus ab eo publice praedicatur. Ad hoc templorum pontifices seditionem excitantes in populo exclamaverunt: tolle magam, tolle maleficam, quae mentes mutat et animos alienat. Praefectus autem viso tanto miraculo eam liberare voluit, sed proscriptionem metuens vicarium dereliquit et, quia eam liberare non potuit, tristis abscessit. Tunc vicarius, Aspasius nomine, jussit eam in copiosum ignem jactari, sed in duas partes flamma divisa seditiosum populum exurebat ) et eam minime contingebat. Tunc Aspasius in gutture ejus gladium immergi praecepit et sic sponsus candidus et rubicundus ipsam sibi sponsam et martirem consecravit. Passa est autem, ut creditur, tempore Constantini magni, qui coepit anno domini CCCIX. Cum igitur corpus ejus Christiani et parentes ipsius cum gaudio sepelirent, vix a paganis in eos lapides mittentibus evaserunt,
Emerentiana autem, ejus collactanea, virgo sanctissima, licet adhuc catechumena, dum juxta sepulchrum ejus staret et constanter gentiles argueret, ab iis lapidata est statimque terrae motus, coruscationes et fulgura exstiterunt a Deo et ex paganis plurimi perierunt, ita quod ipsi de caetero venientes ad se gt pulchrum virginis non laeserunt, Corpus autem Emerentianae juxta corpus sanctae Agnetis positum est. Cumque parentes ejus VIII. die juxta tumulum vigilarent, viderunt chorum virginum véstibus aureis radiantem, inter quas viderunt beatam Agnetem simili veste fulgentem et a dextris ejus candidiorem agnum nive stantem. Quibus illa: videte, ne me quasi mortuam lugeatis, sed congaudete mecum et congratulamini, quia cum his omnibus lucidas sedes accepi. Propter hanc visionem celebratur festum Agnetis secundo.
Constantia virgo, filia Constantini, lepra gravissima laborans cum hanc visionem audiisset, tumulum ejus adiit et ibi, dum in oratione persisteret, obdormivit viditque beatam Agnetem sibi dicentem : eonstanter age Constantia, si in Christum credideris, continuo liberaberis. Ad hanc vocem evigilans perfecte se sanatam invenit, quae baptismum recipiens super corpus sanctae Agnetis basilicam fecit et ibi in virginitate degens multas exemplo suo ibidem virgines aggregavit.
Quidam vir nomine Paulinus 'in ecclesia sanctae Agnetis sacerdotii fungens officio mira coepit carnis tentatione vexari, sed cum Deum offendere nollet, a summo pontifice licentiam petiit contrahendi. Cujus bonitatem et simplicitatem papa considerans annulum ei cum smaragdo dedit et jussit. ul ymagini formosae beatae Agnetis, quae in sua ecclesia depicta erat, ex parte sua praeciperet, ut se permitteret desponsari. Cumque hoc sacerdos ymagini imperaret, illa continuo digitum annularem porrigens et annulo suscepto digitum retrahens omnem tentalionem a sacerdote fugavit. Praedictus tamen annulus adhuc dicitur in ejus digito apparere. Alibi tamen legitur, quod cum ecelesia beatae Aguetis rueret, papa cuidam sacerdoti dixit, se sibi velle quandam sponsam custodiendam et nutriendam, scilicet ecclesiam sanctae Agnetis committere, dansque ei annulum jussit, ut dictam ymaginem desponsaret, quam illa extendente et retrahente digitum desponsavit. De hac virgine dicit Ambrosius in libro de virginibus: hanc senes, hanc juvenes, hanc pueri canant, nemo est laudabilior, quam qui ab omnibus laudari potest, quot homines, tot praecones , qui martirem praedicant, dum loquuntur. Stupete universi, quod jam divinitatis testis exstiterit, quae adhuc arbitra sui per aetatem esse non posset.
Fecit denique, ut ei de Deo crederetur, cui de homine adhuc non crederetur, quia quod ultra natuaram est, hoc de autore naturae est. Novum martirii genus nondum idonea paene et jam matgra victoriae, certare difficilis, habilis coromari, magisterium virtutis implevit, quae nondum judicium habebat aetatis. Non sic ad thalamum nupta properat, ut ad supplicii locum laeta successu, gradu festina, virgo processit. Item Ambrosius in praefatione: beata Agnes generositatis oblectamenta despiciens coelestem meruit dignitatem, societatis humanae vota contemnens aeterni regis est sociata consortio, pretiosam mortem pro Christi confessione suscipiens simul est ei facta conformis.
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