Posted on 01/21/2015 3:51:08 PM PST by NYer
.- Pope Francis observed the feast of St. Agnes with the time-honored custom of the blessing of lambs, whose wool will be used to make stoles worn by archbishops and known as palliums.
The two small lambs, traditionally less than a year old, were placed in baskets and carried to the Casa Santa Marta on Wednesday where they received the Holy Father’s blessing.
St. Agnes, whose name means “lamb” in Latin, was a young girl when she consecrated her virginity to God. Although stories of her martyrdom vary, tradition holds that the beautiful young girl was pursued by various men, whom she refused because of her promise to God.
Feeling slighted, these men then turned her over to Roman authorities, outing her as a Christian. She was then put to death by the sword after refusing to give up her virginity or denounce her faith, at the young age of 12 or 13.
The young saint is buried in the Basilica named for her, located on Rome’s Via Nomentana.
During the blessing of the lambs, one lamb wears a white crown symbolizing the saint’s purity, and the other lamb to wear a red crown, symbolic of the saint’s martyrdom.
St. Agnes is usually depicted as carrying a lamb in her arms, and she is the patron saint of young girls, engaged couples, and victims of sexual assault.
When the sheep are shorn in the summer, religious sisters will collect the wool and use it to weave the Pallium, which are white stoles with six black crosses worn by archbishops to show their authority and unity with the Pope.
After the Pallium are woven, they are kept in an urn at the tomb of St. Peter until the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, when the Pope presents the stoles to the newly appointed archbishops.
Catholic ping!
When is the BBQ?
Is that a photo? It looks like a painting!
Now how can the Pope bless these lambs when their flatulence causes global warming? Seriously? Lamb gas is a cause of the globaloney warming that il Papa says man is causing.
“Pontiff and Patriarch at the Niche of the Pallia”
Beautiful costumes!!!
All very romantic and sweet but Christians should not forget that ‘The Lamb of God’ was slaughtered, and not cuddled, to pay for mankind’s transgression.
Vestments.
The costume vestments of your denomination are amazing!
They are not costumes. Simple statement, please try to understand. They are vestments.
Thank you for posting this! I made a novena to St. Agnes and finished up this morning. Our daughter (27) is struggling and Agnes is her patron and confirmation name. I’m going to forward the link on the article to her. Thanks again.
Prayers up for your daughter.
Nice! Lambs are so cute.
Thank you! Why is it so hard to find a good Catholic young man?
Because they have a tendency to marry young I think.
I do understand that your denomination refers to their costumes as vestments. I’m not in that denomination, so I use the broader term costumes. My point was that they are so beautiful and worldly.
“Most often vestments are gifted to the wearer by parishioners or organizations for special occasions. A simple cloth of the right color is all that is needed, but some people like to sew. “
That’s amazing. They make their own costumes.
This reminds me of the rumor that still circulates about the Salvation Army. It is rumored that they make their own instruments! They don’t.
The rite I belong to doesn’t wear anything of same beauty, showiness or richness of your denomination. Nor do they make their own clothes!
Your sarcasm is not really wanted or needed here.
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