In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of One Martyr or the Common of Virgins with the proper texts below.
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
God, + come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
O Christ, the lily of the vale,
we praise you and extol your name,
for you adorned with blessed palm
this Virgin in her martyrdom.
This prudent woman, wise and strong,
was willing to confess her faith;
undaunted, she endured the woe
of fearful tortures for your sake.
And thus, abounding in your gifts,
she spurned the ruler of this world:
victorious in the bloodied fray,
she won an everlasting crown.
Lord, by the merits of this Saint
include us in her company,
that, pure of heart, we may enjoy
the fruits of your redeeming blood.
To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who are the Virgin Mary’s Son,
with God the Father, ever blest,
and loving Spirit, evermore. Amen.
Tune: HEREFORD, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samel Sebastian Wesley, 1810-1876
or Mode I, melody 21; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: O Christe, flos convallium, ca. 9th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.
Psalm 44
The misfortunes of God’s people
We triumph over all these things through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
I
We heard with our own ears, O God, *
our fathers have told us the story
of the things you did in their days, *
you yourself, in days long ago.
To plant them you uprooted the nations: *
to let them spread you laid peoples low.
No sword of their own won the land; *
no arm of their own brought them victory.
It was your right hand, your arm *
and the light of your face: for you loved them.
It is you, my king, my God, *
who granted victories to Jacob.
Through you we beat down our foes; *
in your name we trampled our aggressors.
For it was not in my bow that I trusted *
nor yet was I saved by my sword:
it was you who saved us from our foes, *
it was you who put our foes to shame.
All day long our boast was in God *
and we praised your name without ceasing.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.
Ant. 2 Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.
II
Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us: *
you no longer go forth with our armies.
You make us retreat from the foe *
and our enemies plunder us at will.
You make us like sheep for the slaughter *
and scatter us among the nations.
You sell your own people for nothing *
and make no profit by the sale.
You make us the taunt of our neighbors, *
the laughing stock of all who are near.
Among the nations, you make us a byword, *
among the peoples a thing of derision.
All day long my disgrace is before me: *
my face is covered with shame
at the voice of the taunter, the scoffer, *
at the sight of the foe and avenger.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.
Ant. 3 Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.
III
This befell us though we had not forgotten you; *
though we had not been false to your covenant,
though we had not withdrawn our hearts; *
though our feet had not strayed from your path.
Yet you have crushed us in a place of sorrows *
and covered us with the shadow of death.
Had we forgotten the name of our God *
or stretched out our hands to another god
would not God have found this out, *
he who knows the secrets of the heart?
It is for you that we face death all day long *
and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep? *
Arise, do not reject us for ever!
Why do you hide your face *
and forget our oppression and misery?
For we are brought down low to the dust; *
our body lies prostrate on the earth.
Stand up and come to our help! *
Redeem us because of your love!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus, you foretold that we would share in the persecutions that brought you to a violent death. The Church formed at the cost of your precious blood is even now conformed to your Passion; may it be transformed, now and eternally, by the power of your resurrection.
Ant. Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.
Let the light of your face shine on me, O Lord.
— Teach me your way of holiness.
READINGS
FIRST READING
The beginning of the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians
1:1-12
Greeting and thanksgiving
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ought to thank God always for you, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater. Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure. This is evidence of the just judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering.
For it is surely just on God’s part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, and to grant rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, in blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, when he comes to be glorified among his holy ones and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, for our testimony to you was believed.
To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY
See 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Psalm 145:13
The Lord will come to be glorified in his holy one
— and to be adored by all who have believed in him.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
— And to be adored by all who have believed in him.
SECOND READING
From a homily on Saint Agatha by Saint Methodius of Sicily, bishop
(Analecta Bollandiana 68, 76-78)
The gift of God, the source of all goodness
My fellow Christians, our annual celebration of a martyr’s feast has brought us together. She achieved renown in the early Church for her noble victory; she is well known now as well, for she continues to triumph through her divine miracles, which occur daily and continue to bring glory to her name.
She is indeed a virgin, for she was born of the divine Word, God’s only Son, who also experienced death for our sake. John, a master of God’s word, speaks of this: He gave the power to become children of God to everyone who received him.
The woman who invites us to this banquet is both a wife and virgin. To use the analogy of Paul, she is the bride who has been betrothed to one husband, Christ. A true virgin, she wore the glow of pure conscience and the crimson of the Lamb’s blood for her cosmetics. Again and again she meditated on the death of her eager lover. For her, Christ’s death was recent, his blood was still moist. Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ. It bears the indelible marks of his crimson blood and the shining threads of her eloquence. She offers to all who come after her these treasures of her eloquent confession.
Agatha, the name of our saint, means “good.” She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. She was also given as the gift of God, the source of all goodness to her bridegroom, Christ, and to us. For she grants us a share in her goodness.
What can give greater good than the Sovereign Good? Whom could anyone find more worthy of celebration with hymns of praise than Agatha?
Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and way of life. She won a good name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. She teaches them by her example to hasten with her to the true Good. God alone.
RESPONSORY
But as for me, helped by the Lord,
I shall stand firm in proclaiming his praises.
— He has become my salvation and my consoler.
In his mercy, the sinless Lord has consecrated his servant,
for she remained pure in his sight.
— He has become my salvation and my consoler.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord,
let your forgiveness be won for us
by the pleading of Saint Agatha,
who found favor with you by her chastity
and by her courage in suffering death for the gospel.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha
implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray,
for she found favor with you
by the courage of her martyrdom
and the merit of her chastity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
******
Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.