ST. JAMES THE GREATER

St. James the Elder was called by Jesus, together with his brother John, as one of his first disciples (Mt 4: 21-22): Saint Matthew and Luke mention him in the third place, and Saint Mark in the second. James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee. They were fishermen and lived on Lake Tiberias. Jacob was one of the privileged disciples of the Lord Jesus who witnessed the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37; Lk 8:51), the transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Mt 17: 1ff; Mk 9: 1; Lk 9:28) and prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Mt 26:37).

Legends of St. Jacob

Various sources say that he came to Spain with a group of students to conduct missionary work in the north of the country (33-43 CE), but due to missions failures he returned back to the Holy Land. There he was tortured at the hands of Herod I Agrippa around 44 CE.
Witnesses to the martyrdom of St. Jacob, they took the apostle's body in a stone sarcophagus on a boat and sailed away to deposit his remains in another safe place. Through the Mediterranean Sea they reached Gibraltar, from where they got to the Atlantic Ocean and docked to the northwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
According to legend, the exact place of landing is the present-day town of Finisterre, which in Latin means "the end of the earth". This western piece of Spain was indeed the end of the world at the time. The consciousness of the epoch knew no other continents. This is also where the Roman rule over Europe ended
It was just off the coast of northern Spain that the disciples of Jacob took the body ashore, carried it several dozen kilometers inland and buried it in the indicated place. Apparently an angel was supposed to lead them there. The burial site was kept secret because of previous persecution in the Holy Land. Visitation and worship were forbidden, and with time the exact remains of the apostle were forgotten.
Only eight centuries after those events did the knowledge of the place of the apostle's tomb come to light. Between the years 788 and 838 (some sources indicate the date of the discovery of the sarcophagus as 813), relics were discovered, which were considered to be its remains. In legends from that period, incl. by Isidore of Seville, it is reported that a hermit named Pelagius had a revelation in which he heard that the "field of stars" would bring him to the place and show him the tomb of Saint James. Saint James is Santiago in Spanish and the Star Field in Latin campus stella. Hence the name of the settlement where the sanctuary was later built: Santiago de Compostela.
In the iconography of St. Jacob is depicted as an old man with a strong body in a long tunic and coat, or as a pilgrim in a soft, wide-brimmed hat. Its attributes are: a wineskin, pilgrim's stick, book, sword, shell, bag, Turkish turban, scroll

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St. AGNES, THE VIRGIN AND THE MARTYR

Agnes was one of the most popular saints in antiquity. St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, Pope St. Damasus, Pope St. Gregory I the Great and many others. As a 12-year-old girl, coming from an old family, she was to be martyred in the Domitian Stadium around 305. Today, on the site of the "blood testimony" is Piazza Navona - one of the most beautiful and frequented places in Rome. Right next to it, above the martyr's grave, a basilica was erected, in which on January 21 - according to the old custom - two white lambs are consecrated.

Legends about st. Agnes

According to reports, for the hand of Agnieszka, who had taken a vow of chastity earlier, many suitors competed, among them a young Roman nobleman enchanted by her beauty. She, however, rejected them all, saying that she had chosen a Spouse whom mortal eyes could not see. The suitors, trying to break her stubbornness, accused her of being a Christian. Brought to the judge, she did not succumb to gentle persuasions or threats. A fire was kindled, and torture devices were brought, but she watched with impassive calm.
So she was sent to the brothel, but her person was so respected that none of the sinful youths visiting the place dared approach her. One, braver than the others, was suddenly struck by blindness and collapsed in convulsions. Young Agnes left the house of debauchery immaculate and was still a chaste spouse of Christ.The suitors began to incite the judge again. The heroic maiden was then thrown into the fire, but when she emerged intact, she was condemned to beheaded. "She went to the place of execution," says St. Ambrose, "happier than the others who went to their wedding." Amidst the common cry, her head was cut off. She went to meet the Immortal spouse whom she loved more than life.

St. Agnes is the patron saint of children, virgins and gardeners. According to the legend of St. Agnes, completely exposed in the stadium, was thrown to the attention of the crowd. By a miracle, she covered herself with a coat of hair. Agnes's name is mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer - Roman Canon. The artists present Agnes with a lamb, as the Latin name Agnes probably derives from the Latin word agnus - lamb. Therefore, it was customary that on St. Agnes are sacrificed lambs bred by the Trappists in the Roman Abbey of Tre Fontane (located on the site of the beheading of St. Paul), and then handed over to the Benedictine nuns from the monastery at the church of St. Cecilia in Trastevere. The nuns use their wool to make pallets, which the Pope imposes every year on June 29 (on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul) to the newly appointed metropolitans of the Catholic Church.

In the iconography of St. Agnes is presented with a lamb with a nimbus or with two crowns - virginity and martyrdom. More than once a pile is burning nearby, on which an attempt was made to burn it. Its attributes are also: a palm branch, ivory, oil lamp, lily, sword, scroll. In Eastern art, St. Agnes is presented in yellow robes (and not red, like the martyrs) and with a martyr's cross in her hand.

Source: www.brewiarz.pl