Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (251 A.D.) Patron of Nurses; Saint Philip of Jesus, Martyr (1597 A.D.)

  

The Martyrdom of Saint Agatha
c. 1755; Oil on canvas,
Gemaeldegalerie, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin

SAINT AGATHA
Virgin and Martyr

A statue of St. Philip of Jesus at the  
Museo de Virreinato, Tepotzotlán [Wikipedia.org}
 

[Commemoration]
SAINT PHILIP OF JESUS
Martyr
 

DOUBLE / RED 

The remarkable beauty of Agatha, a Sicilian, attracted the attention of the Roman governor. She was horribly tortured for resisting his offers; but she stood firm, saying, "Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, You know my desires. Do you alone possess all that I am." On the day of her martyrdom in 251, she was rolled over live coals. As she was being carried back to prison she died while praying, "Lord, my Creator, receive now my soul."

INTROIT
Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honor of the blessed virgin martyr Agatha, at whose sufferings the angels rejoiced and praised the Son of God.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA 

COLLECT
O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate womanhood. May the example of the blessed virgin martyr Agatha, whose birthday we celebrate today, draw us closer to You. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP OF JESUS

Philip was born in Mexico City in 1572. Though unusually frivolous as a boy, he joined the Reformed Franciscans of the Province of St. Didacus, founded in Mexico by St. Peter Baptista, with whom he suffered martyrdom later. After some months in the Order, Philip grew tired of religious life, left the Franciscans in 1589, took up a mercantile career, and went to the Philippines, another Spanish colony, where he led a life of pleasure. Later he desired to re-enter the Franciscans and was again admitted at Manila in 1590.^[2]
After some years it was determined that he was ready for ordination and sent to Mexico for this, since the episcopal see of Manila was vacant at that time, and thus no bishop was available locally to ordain him. He sailed on the San Felipe on 12 July 1596, but a storm drove the vessel upon the coast of Japan. The governor of the province confiscated the ship and imprisoned its crew and passengers, among whom were another Franciscan friar, Juan de Zamorra, as well as three other friars, two Augustinians and a Dominican. The discovery of soldiers, cannon and ammunition on the ship led to the suspicion that it was intended for the conquest of Japan, and that the missionaries were merely to prepare the way for the soldiers. This was also said, falsely and unwarrantably, by one of the crew and enraged the Japanese Taikō, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, generally called Taicosama by Europeans. In consequence, he commanded on December 8, 1596, the arrest of the Franciscans in the friary at Miako, now Kyoto, whither St. Philip had gone.^[2]
The friars were all kept prisoners in the friary until December 30, when they were transferred to the city prison. There were six Franciscan friars, seventeen Japanese Franciscan tertiaries and the Japanese Jesuit Paul Miki, with his two native servants. The ears of the prisoners were cropped on January 3, 1597, and they were paraded through the streets of Kyoto; on January 21 they were taken to Osaka, and thence to Nagasaki, which they reached on February 5, 1597. They were taken to a mountain near Nagasaki city, "Mount of the Martyrs", bound upon crosses, after which they were pierced with spears.^[2]
Philip was beatified in 1627 by Urban VIII, and, with his companions, canonized 8 June, 1862, by Pius IX. He is the patron saint of the city of Mexico.[Wikipedia.org]

O God, Who, when the first martyrs of Japan were put to death, wast pleased that, among them all, blessed Philip, bound to a cross and thrice pierced by a lance, should be the first to receive from Thee the crown of martyrdom, do Thou graciously grant that, supported by his patronage, we may attain to be likewise crowned with him in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 1:26-31
Brethren: For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong. And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his sight. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption: That, as it is written: "He that glorieth may glory in the Lord."

GRADUAL Ps. 45:6.5
God will help her by His presence. God is within her, she shall not be disturbed.
V. The flowing stream gladdens the city of God, where the Most High has sanctified His own dwelling place.

Alleluia, alleluia Ps. 118:46

V. I spoke of your testimonies before kings, and I was not ashamed.

Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 19:3-12
At that time, there came to Jesus some Pharisees tempting him, saying: "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" Who answering, said to them: "Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?" And he said: "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." They say to him: "Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away?" He saith to them: "Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery." His disciples say unto him: "If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry." Who said to them: "All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mothers womb: and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:15
Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you.

SECRET
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your blessed virgin martyr Agatha, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP OF JESUS
Do Thou, O Lord, we beseech Thee, sanctify the gifts which we dedicate unto Thee, and by the intercession of blessed Philip Thy martyr, grant that they may turn to our perpetual support. Through our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
I call upon the living God Himself, who was pleased to heal all my wounds and restore my breast to my body.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Agatha may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP OF JESUS
We who have been satisfied by the sacred Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, suppliantly beseech Thee, O Lord, that by the intercession of blessed Philip, Thy martyr, we may be delivered from every adversity. Through our Lord . . .  

Saint Peter Healing Agatha, by the Caravaggio-follower Giovanni Lanfranco, ca 1614 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)