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St Agnes
21/January/2008 Filed in: Jottings
Feast of St Agnes, one of the early Christian martyrs. Many probably think of Keats rather than martyrdom when they hear the name. Those of more antiquarian bent will recall that on this day the pope traditionally blesses two lambs at the basilica of St Agnes (the Latin for lamb, "agnus", bearing a resemblance to the saint's name). From the lambs' wool will be woven the liturgical garment known as the pallium which the pope presents to archbishops as a sign of their unity with him. Tonight at Vespers we shall sing the beautiful but complex antiphons of the feast which remind every nun of her profession day since much of the imagery and phrasing is the same (the gorier details of the martyrdom, of course, are unique to St Agnes — one hopes). I can't help feeling that this feast has something to say about Christian Unity, too. The pallium as a visible sign of unity is a challenge, while the liturgy of the feast is a stark reminder of the absoluteness of commitment to Christ.