St. Agnes and the Agnus Dei Sacramental

Upcoming on Saturday January 21 is the feast day of St. Agnes who was martyred in pagan Rome circa 304 A.D. at about the age of 13 years.

In honor of this feast in 2020, Gemma at Introibo with Flowers published a lovely post about an Agnus Dei sacramental that her parents apparently found in an antique store and purchased without knowing exactly what it was.  Agnus Dei sacramentals are not specifically related to St. Agnes, but they certainly do bring her to mind. 

These sacramentals are usually round or oval with an image imprinted on candle wax of a Lamb bearing a Cross or flag.  They are often pendants and some are enclosed in heart-shaped lockets.  Of course the Lamb and Cross represent Our Lord's passion.  If there is a flag that would represent his Resurrection (victory over death).

 Elena Maria Vidal also has a post on this sacramental at Tea at Trianon.  Both posts explain that the wax used is from the previous year's Paschal candles. 

While one can find both contemporary and antique/ vintage versions of the sacramental for sale on the internet, I personally would prefer to find an old one in an antique store or thrift shop.  I suppose the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop would be a good place to start looking.

As for St. Agnes' feast day, the liturgical color is red because she was a martyr.  In honoring her with flowers for the altar shelf or one's home devotional space, I think the arrangement should be delicate in view of her young age and innocence.  A combination of rose-colored or even pale pink blooms with some ivory colored blossoms would be very good.  But, for altar flowers check with the sacristan about which red altar cloth and chasuble will be used to avoid a color clash.  It would be nice to add some small cuttings of palm as a remembrance of her martyr's palm.