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Year: 2011
Agnes Day
Today’s saint, Agnes of Rome, is long overdue for a revival. Why? She was probably the most revered female martyr of the early Church — outstanding in a field that included Blandina and Perpetua, among others. St. Jerome was not a man easily impressed, but of today’s saint, his near-contemporary, he wrote: “Every people, whatever their tongue, praise the name of Saint Agnes.” Prudentius wrote a long poem and a hymn in her honor. Ambrose extolled her as the model virgin. Augustine praised her. Damasus memorialized her in verse. Her name means lamb, and in art she often appears holding a lamb.
At least one modern historian holds that her martyrdom was the tipping point in the long term of Diocletian’s persecution. It was with the brutal, legal murder of this young girl that the tide of opinion began to turn among Rome’s pagans. With this act they realized they had become something they didn’t want to be; and that moment’s repugnance may have been the beginning of their healing.
Agnes was twelve or thirteen when she was denounced as a Christian. A beautiful girl from a noble family, she had reached the age when she could be married. She turned away her suitors, however, explaining that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ. It was likely one of her jilted suitors who turned her in.
Agnes knew that her martyrdom was likely. She faced the judge fearlessly, even when he brought out the instruments of torture that could be applied to her. She was unmoved. Knowing how much the girl prized her virginity, the judge condemned her to work in a brothel. She was stripped of her clothing, but even the debauched Romans couldn’t bear to look upon her. One man who did was struck blind, only to be healed by Agnes’s prayer. Agnes let down her long, blond hair to cover herself. (Some accounts say that her hair miraculously grew to veil her body.)
Having failed at another punishment, the judge turned her over to the executioner. Ambrose wrote: “At such a tender age a young girl has scarcely enough courage to bear the angry looks of her father and a tiny puncture from a needle makes her cry as if it were a wound. And still this little girl had enough courage to face the sword. She was fearless in the bloody hands of the executioner. She prayed, she bowed her head. Behold in one victim the twofold martyrdom of chastity and faith.”
She died around 304 A.D., and immediately the world knew her story. The emperor Constantine’s daughter invoked St. Agnes to cure her of leprosy; and when she was cured, she had a basilica built at Agnes’s tomb. One of my all-time favorite books is about that fourth-century church. It’s Margaret Visser’s The Geometry of Love: Space, Time, Mystery, and Meaning in an Ordinary Church. Visser has taped a feature-length documentary about St. Agnes Outside the Walls. You can view excerpts here.
Another church in Agnes’s honor stands in Rome’s lovely Piazza Navona. Last year, with my daughter Mary Agnes, I visited both churches. I plan to get there again this November on a St. Paul Center pilgrimage. Please consider joining us!
Why We Hoard Books
At last, an ancient Christian book-owner gets credit where credit’s due.
AnneMarie Luijendijk of Princeton University has identified the owner of a Greek New Testament papyrus as Aurelius Leonides, a flax merchant from Egypt. Discovered in the late 19th century at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, the papyrus contains verses 1-7 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
“It is the first and only ancient instance where we know the owner of a Greek New Testament papyrus,” writes Luijendijk in the Journal of Biblical Literature. “For most early New Testament manuscripts, we do not know where they were found, let alone who had owned them,” she continues.
I read and loved Luijendijk’s book Greetings in the Lord: Early Christians and the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (Harvard Theological Studies). Trolling in that glorious garbage dump in the “town of the sharp-snouted fish,” Dr. Luijendijk gathered the remains of a church that was hierarchical, richly liturgical, and deeply learned. Her study of the use of the word “Papas” — both “pope” and “father” — is illuminating.
God rest Aurelius Leonides for the care he took with this book. Surely he had to keep thousands in order for one to have survived. That’s what I’ll tell my wife.
Glory, Mystery, Tradition
At long last I’m holding in my hands a copy of The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition, the book I co-authored with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. Doubleday made it beautiful — hardcover, with many photos of the Cardinal celebrating Mass.
It contains a foreword by Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and a preface by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. Here’s what other folks are saying:
“To the early Christian, the Mass was known as ‘the mysteries.’ This book is unique in that it unveils those mysteries from two distinct perspectives: the priest’s and the congregation’s. Every detail matters: the special vessels and fabrics, the candles and the furnishings, what the priest wears and what the worshippers wear. It’s all examined, explained and illustrated here. I’m pleased to see it done so beautifully and deeply by authors well equipped for the task.”
– Scott Hahn, dear friend and colleague“The Mass is the “source and summit of the whole Christian life”; in it Heaven and earth meet. Yet many Catholics seem unaware of the profound depths and infinite beauty of the Liturgy. They remain partial participants in the Eucharist or even just spectators. In The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina address this problem head on. Here we find the Mass accurately and lovingly explained down the last prayer – indeed, the last gesture. Using excellent historical and biblical references as well as quotations from the Fathers of the Church, the authors lead the reader step by step into the great mystery of God’s love for us that is the Mass. This book would be of great benefit to any Catholic and indeed to any Christian.”
– Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR“What an inviting—and refreshing—guide to the Mass! Whether you are a Catholic or non-Catholic, a churchgoer thirsty for a deeper understanding of the celebration you have attended so many times, or are simply curious about the Catholic Mass, this book is your passport to a new, deeper, richer experience with the Mass, and with Christ in the Eucharist.”
– Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus“There is genius in Catholicism and nothing demonstrates that more tangibly than the Mass. At the same time it is impossible to ignore the fact that millions of Catholics don’t have such an appreciation for the Mass. Is it a big problem? Yes. Is there a simple solution to that big problem? Yes. If every Catholic in America would read this book I think it would be a great first step in our quest to engage disengaged Catholics and turn the tide for Catholicism in America.”
– Matthew Kelly, New York Times bestselling author“This is an ingenious, deeply satisfying exploration of the Mass – its history, its elements and its meaning. The authors blend the best of priestly and lay wisdom about the central act of Catholic worship into a volume that is simultaneously rich in detail, wonderfully readable in style, and a marvelous resource for nourishing one’s faith.”
– Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver“Excellent, inspiring, and practical. I recommend this book to everyone (particularly at this time of confusing press coverage.)”
– Fr. Michael Scanlan, Chancellor of Franciscan University“It’s the ‘source and summit’ of our Christian life, so to understand, love, and appreciate the Mass is imperative for anybody serious about discipleship. This excellent book is a great place to start.”
– Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York“The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition is an ideal introduction to all the aspects of the Mass.”
– Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P., Editor-in-chief of MAGNIFICAT“Whenever we celebrate the Holy Mass, what we encounter is no less significant than what the Apostles encountered with Jesus at the Last Supper—Christ in His Word; Christ in His Body and Blood; Christ in the Gathering. The miracle of the Real Presence of Christ among us is at the very center of our lives. In this marvelous book, Donald Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, one of our greatest educators in the faith, and best-selling author Mike Aquilina, present a basic and thorough catechesis on the Mass, a helpful compendium on the central act of Christian worship. This is a book for all believers who want to enrich their knowledge, understanding and love for the Mass.”
– Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh
Happiness Is …
Reading the blog Happy Catholic always makes me a happy Catholic. But it’s an ecstasy when I land there and find an appreciative review of one of my books. This week she scrutinized my book A Year with the Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living. I’m pleased that she appreciates not only the Fathers’ words, but also the design of the book, which is itself an act of devotion and a stunning work of the bookbinder’s art.
Here are some snips:
Aquilina’s passion for the wisdom of the Fathers always is passed on to readers in such a way that they appreciate the Fathers for themselves, which is no easy feat when one considers how long ago they wrote.
… This is not simply a collection of interesting or informative excerpts from the Church Fathers’ archives. It is a well-planned, daily retreat that is designed to progress through a year with the ancient Fathers as spiritual guides. The 365 meditations are intended to move the reader, with prayer and contemplation, to a deeper life with Jesus Christ.
… This book is a beautiful thing that reflects the value of the words within it to our souls. The cover may not be actual leather but it certainly feels like it. Pages are gilt-edged. A sturdy ribbon marker matches the cover. Moreover, the book design is elegant and decorative in an understated but classic way. A Year with the Fathers is not only useful but a book that could become an heirloom in your family. Readers will know that I do not give this praise lightly.
Oh, please read the rest.
Emperors’ New Close-Ups
Adrian Murdoch is posting an informative and entertaining video series on the Roman emperors. “The idea is to cover every Roman emperor from Augustus to Romulus Augustulus in under two minutes. A new episode will be published on a Monday morning. By the end of the year we should be in the middle of the third century.” Adrian supplements his summary lectures with nice shots of art and ruins. Check out the Augustus. It’s a minute and twenty-three seconds well spent.