[Rank]
S. Petri Nolasci Confessoris;;Duplex;;3;;vide C5

[Rule]
vide C5;mtv
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, Who hast commended thy love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,~
Thou didst die for us, that Thou mightest redeem us from the hand of the enemy;~
and Who didst raise up thy holy servant Peter in imitation of that thy so great~
love for their souls to redeem the bodies also of thy servants from the hand of~
the enemies of thy Cross, and to that end, didst choose him for a mean whereby~
Thou hast given unto thy Church a new family of sons; mercifully grant unto us,~
at his petition, that we may be delivered from the bondage of our sins, and may~
one day together with him rejoice in perfect liberty in our very Fatherland,~
which is in heaven
$Qui vivis

[Lectio4]
Peter Nolasco was born of noble parents at Recaudun near Carcassonne in France~
(about the year 1189,) and is chiefly distinguished for his great love toward~
his neighbour. It was considered a foreshadowing of this virtue, that when he~
was a little child in his cradle, a swarm of bees settled on his right hand, and~
began to make an honey-comb there. He lost his parents while still young, and in~
consequence of his horror of the Albigensian heresy, with which France was then~
plagued, he sold his property there and emigrated to Spain. Here he first~
discharged a vow which he had made at the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of~
Monserrat, and afterwards went to Barcelona. Here he was so affected by the~
miserable state of the Christians who were in slavery to the Moors, that he~
expended his whole fortune in ransoming as many of them as possible, and used to~
say that he wished he could be sold himself to ransom more, or could himself~
change places with them.

[Lectio5]
It came to pass that God showed how agreeable to Him was the charitable zeal of~
Peter. One night when he was praying, and his mind was much exercised on the~
means of succouring the enslaved Christians, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him~
in a vision, and gave him to understand that it would be most pleasing to her~
Son and herself, if he would found in her honour an order of religious men,~
whose chief duty it should be to effect the redemption of Christian bondsmen out~
of the hand of the unbelievers. In conformity to this revelation, which had~
likewise on the same night been made to St Raymond de Pegnafort and King James~
I. of Aragon, he founded the Religious Order of the Blessed Mary of Ransom, for~
the redemption of captives. The members of this order add a fourth vow to the~
three essential ones of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, namely, that they will~
be ready if need be to remain as hostages in 'the hand of the unbelievers for~
the liberation of others.

[Lectio6]
After he took the vow of virginity he remained with his purity quite unsullied~
all his life, and was at the same time a bright pattern of long-suffering,~
lowliness, temperance, and other virtues. God was pleased to adorn him with the~
gift of Prophecy, whereby he foretold things to come. Among others, he~
prophesied to King James that he would take the city of Valencia from the Moors,~
which he afterwards did. He was refreshed by frequent apparitions of his~
Guardian Angel and of the Virgin Mother of God. He had lived to a great age,~
when being quite worn out, and falling into a grievous sickness, he perceived~
that his end was at hand. He then received the holy Sacraments, and, gathering~
his brethren around him, exhorted them for the last time to show pity to slaves.~
After this he began to repeat with great emotion the ex. Psalm, I will praise~
thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, and when he had uttered the words He sent~
redemption unto His people, he resigned his soul to God. This happened at~
midnight between the 23rd and 24th of December, 1256. Alexander VII. ordered~
that his feast should be celebrated on the 31st of January.

[Commemoratio 1]
!Commemoration for S. Agnes Virgin and Martyr
Ant. The blessed Agnes stood in the midst of the fire * and stretched forth her~
hands unto the Lord, and prayed, saying O Thou Who Alone art Almighty! Who Alone~
art to be adored! Who Alone art to be worshipped! Who Alone art to be feared! I~
bless thee, and glorify thy Name for ever and ever!
_
V. In thy comeliness and thy beauty.
R. Go forward, fare prosperously, and reign.
_
!Oratio
O God, Who year by year dost gladden thy people by the solemn feast of thy~
blessed Virgin and Martyr Agnes, grant unto us, we beseech thee, not only~
devoutly to observe the same, but also to follow after the pattern of her godly~
conversation.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio93]
!Commemoratio for St Agnes.
The night when the parents of the blessed Agnes were watching at her grave, she~
appeared to them in company with a band of virgins, and said to them Father and~
Mother, weep not for me as though I were dead; for now these virgins and I live~
together in Him Whose love was my whole life upon earth. Some years afterwards,~
Constance, the daughter of the Emperor Constantine, being sick of an incurable~
ulcer, betook herself to the said grave, although she was not yet a Christian,~
and as she lay by it and slept, she seemed to hear the voice of Agnes, saying to~
her Constance, be of good courage believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and He~
will make thee whole. The Princess, being healed, was baptized, along with many~
others of the Emperor's family and household, and afterwards built over the~
grave of the blessed Agnes a Church named in her honour.
&teDeum

[Commemoratio 2]
!Commemoration for S. Agnes Virgin and Martyr
Ant. Behold, now I see that * which I have desired; now I possess that for which I~
have hoped now am I united in heaven to Him Whom I loved with my whole heart~
upon earth.
_
V. Grace is poured into thy lips.
R. Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
_
!Oratio
O God, Who year by year dost gladden thy people by the solemn feast of thy~
blessed Virgin and Martyr Agnes, grant unto us, we beseech thee, not only~
devoutly to observe the same, but also to follow after the pattern of her godly~
conversation.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio94]
Peter Nolasco, born of a noble family at Recaudun near Carcassonne in France,~
was bereaved of his parents in his youth. Loathing the heresy of the Albigenses,~
he divided his patrimony and went to Spain. There, as he was praying one.night,~
the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and suggested that it would be most pleasing~
to her Son and to herself to have a religious order founded for the purpose of~
freeing those taken captive in the power of unbelievers. And so, together with~
St. Raymund of Pennafort and James I, king of Aragon, who had been told the same~
thing by the Mother of God on the very same night, he established the Order of~
Our Lady of Mercy for the redemption of captives, the members taking a fourth~
vow to remain as hostages in the power of pagans if this were needed to free~
Christians. He was often cheered by apparitions of his guardian Angel and of the,~
Virgin Mother of God; and when he had. attained a good old age, he died a holy~
death in the middle of the night of the Vigil of Christmas, in the year 1256
&teDeum
