PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, JANUARY 21)

Prayer for the Evening

O peoples, bless our God,

let the voice of his praise resound!

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

Her captors lead her to the fire

But she refuses their desire,

“For it is not such smold’ring brands

Christ’s virgins take into their hands.”

“This flaming fire of pagan rite

Extinguishes all faith and light.

Then stab me here, so that the flood

May overcome this hearth in blood.”

Courageous underneath the blows,

Her death a further witness shows,

For as she falls she bends her knee

And wraps her robes in modesty.

PSALM 66:1-3, 8-12, 16-17, 20

When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned;/ the flames shall not consume you. (Is 43:2)

Saint Agnes’ fidelity to Christ was tried by fire—and fire proved her love and strengthened her to choose death rather than betrayal.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth,

O sing to the glory of his name.

O render him glorious praise.

Say to God: “How tremendous your deeds!”

O peoples, bless our God,

let the voice of his praise resound,

of the God who gave life to our souls

and kept our feet from stumbling.

For you, O God, have tested us,

you have tried us as silver is tried:

you led us, God, into the snare;

you laid a heavy burden on our backs.

You let men ride over our heads;

we went through fire and through water

but then you brought us relief.

Come and hear, all who fear God.

I will tell what he did for my soul:

to him I cried aloud,

with high praise ready on my tongue.

Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer

nor withhold his love from me.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I will test them as gold is tested./ They shall call

upon my name, and I will hear them. (Zec 13:9)

CANTICLE OF MARY

I will bless you, O Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, because by your Son the fire that surrounded me was quenched. (Traditional Antiphon)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

The fiery love of God protected Saint Agnes from all lesser fires. Through her intercession we pray:

R/Blessed are you who do not reject our prayer!

You protected Saint Agnes in the defenselessness of age and body:

– protect the young, the elderly, the sick, and the poor from all exploitation. R/

You kept Saint Agnes chaste amid threats and seduction:

– protect all your people from the pervasive and subtle pornography of our culture. R/

You brought Saint Agnes through death to everlasting life in your presence:

– grant the fullness of life to all those who have died a violent death. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May God keep us firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (cf. 1 Cor 1:8)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1

The root of Jesse has budded,

a star has arisen from Jacob;

a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;

we praise you, our God.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.