# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (Feb 5) —
# SanctiM/02-05.txt inherits the whole day (`@Sancti/02-05`) with no
# Nocturn 2/3 override, so this saint's own vita is sourced from the
# Tridentine track exactly as for a pre-1955 saint (see memory
# vu-matins-pre1955-saints, vu-matins-sanctim-saints).
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/02-05.txt, English/Sancti/02-05.txt.
# Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one continuous vita, no genuine
# source break. No responsory given in the source for these lessons.
id: st-agatha
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Agatha virgo, in Sicília nobílibus paréntibus nata, quam Panormitáni et Catanénses civem
        suam esse dicunt, in persecutióne Decii imperatóris Cátanæ gloriósi martyrii corónam
        consecúta est. Nam cum pari pulchritúdinis et castitátis laude commendarétur, Quintiánus
        Sicíliæ prætor ejus amóre captus est. Sed cum, tentáta modis ómnibus ejus pudicítia,
        Agatham in suam senténtiam perdúcere non posset, christiánæ superstitiónis nómine
        comprehénsam, Aphrodísiæ cuidam mulíeri depravándam tradit. Quæ Aphrodísiæ consuetúdine
        cum de constántia coléndæ christiánæ fídei et servándæ virginitátis removéri non posset,
        núntiat illa Quintiáno se in Agatha óperam pérdere. Quare ille ad se Vírginem addúci
        jubet; et, Nonne, inquit, te pudet nóbili génere natam, húmilem et servílem
        Christianórum vitam ágere? Cui Agatha: Multo præstántior est christiána humílitas et
        sérvitus, regum ópibus ac supérbia.


        Quam ob rem irátus prætor hanc ei optiónem dat, velítne pótius venerári deos, an vim
        tormentórum subíre. At illa constans in fide, primum cólaphis cæsa míttitur in cárcerem;
        unde postrídie edúcta, cum in senténtia permanéret, admótis candéntibus láminis in
        equúleo torquétur. Tum ei mamílla abscínditur; quo in vúlnere Quintiánum appéllans Virgo,
        Crudélis, inquit, tyránne, non te pudet amputáre in fémina, quod ipse in matre suxísti?
        Mox conjécta in víncula, sequénti nocte a sene quodam, qui se Christi Apóstolum esse
        dicébat, sanáta est. Rursum evocáta a prætóre, et in Christi confessióne persevérans, in
        acutis téstulis et candéntibus carbónibus ei subjéctis volutátur.


        Quo témpore, ingénti terræmótu urbs tota contrémuit, ac duo paríetes, corruéntes,
        Silvínum et Falcónium íntimos prætóris familiáres oppressérunt. Quare veheméntius commóta
        civitáte, véritus pópuli tumúltum Quintiánus, Agatham semimórtuam clam redúci ímperat in
        cárcerem. Quæ sic Deum precáta: Dómine, qui me custodísti ab infántia, qui abstulísti a
        me amórem sæculi, qui me carníficum torméntis superiórem præstitísti, áccipe ánimam
        meam. Ea in oratióne migrávit in cælum, Nonis Februárii: cujus corpus a Christiánis
        sepelítur.
      en: >-
        The Maiden Agatha was a Sicilian of noble birth. The citizens of Palermo and Catania
        dispute as to which city had the honour of being her birthplace. It was at Catania that,
        during the persecution under the Emperor Decius, she won the crown of a glorious
        martyrdom. She was equally celebrated for her beauty and her chastity, and Quintianus,
        Praetor of Sicily, conceived a passion for her. He tried every sort of device to overcome
        her modesty, and when he found it impossible to make her consent to his wishes, he caused
        her to be arrested on a charge of Christian superstition, and handed over to a woman named
        Aphrodisia to be corrupted. The company, however, of this woman had no effect in shaking
        her constancy in the Christian worship, nor her settled determination to preserve her
        purity. Aphrodisia therefore reported to Quintianus that she was only throwing away her
        pains on Agatha. He ordered her to be brought before him. Thou, said he, art the daughter
        of a noble family; dost thou feel no shame in living the degraded and slavish life of a
        Christian? Agatha answered him, The lowliness and bondage of a Christian are far nobler
        than the estate and pride of a king.


        Then the Praetor, being incensed against her, gave her the alternative of either
        sacrificing to the gods, or being submitted to the torture; and as she remained firm in
        the faith, she was buffeted and sent back to prison. The next day she was brought forth,
        and, because her resolution was still unshaken, she was stretched on the rack and tortured
        with pieces of white-hot metal. Then her breasts were cut off. When Agatha received this
        injury she cried out to Quintianus, Cruel tyrant, art thou not ashamed to do this to me,
        having thyself sucked at a mother's breast? She was remanded again to prison and put in
        irons. That night an old man, who called himself an Apostle of Christ, came to her, and
        healed her wounds. The following day she was brought for the last time before the Praetor.
        Her constancy was unmoved, and she was rolled on sharp potsherds and live embers.


        At that time the whole city was shaken with a great earthquake, and two of the Praetor's
        dearest friends, Silvinus and Falconius, were killed by falling walls. The townspeople were
        in an uproar, and Quintianus, in fear of a riot, ordered Agatha, who was half dead, to be
        carried back to prison quietly. Then she made the following prayer: O Lord, Who hast been
        my Keeper from my childhood, Who hast taken from me all love for this present world, Who
        hast strengthened me so that I am more than conqueror over the cruelty of the executioners,
        receive my spirit, and with these words she passed to heaven. She finished her testimony
        on the 5th day of February. Her body was buried by the Christians.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
