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St. Agnes, whose name means lamb, is celebrated every year in Rome through a beautiful tradition that many have never even heard of. The Pope observes a time-honored tradition of blessing two lambs on the feast of St. Agnes. It is customary for the lambs to both be under one year old and carried in to see the Pope in baskets. One lamb wears a white crown which symbolizes the purity of St. Agnes and the other lamb wears a red crown to symbolize her martyrdom. The wool from those lambs is then used to create a pallium for each new Archbishop.
I find this tradition to be so impactful given that we don't know much about this small child saint, yet her littleness has brought about a century old tradition that clothes the great Archbishops of our Church. Consider this, the meaning of her namesake and the example that she gave of her purity brings forth a yearly custom of blessing little lambs and calls us back to seek innocent and pure love with Christ.
This feast day can be honored in many ways in your home through prayer, sweet lamb crafts, books, etc. The way we like to welcome St. Agnes into our domestic church is through a meaningful dinner, garlic lamb chops, and prayer. Remembering her over a family dinner and asking her intercession reminds us to imitate her love for Christ through purity and self-sacrifice.
I invite you to make dinner alongside me by using this recipe! Its fragrant ingredients will naturally call everyone to the kitchen.
To learn more about why you should make lamb for Holy Thursday, read this.
And of course you know the connection between lamb and Easter, but if you'd like to know more read this.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
The Ensemble
1 package of fresh rosemary, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt
black pepper
1 1/2 tbsps olive oil
4 lamb loin chop
Begin by taking out your rosemary sprigs and while firmly holding the base of the stem, gently pull down against the leaf. Once you have removed as much of the herb from the stem, chop it up!
Peel and mince 5 cloves of garlic.
Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
Mix those four simple ingredients together and gently press your lamb loin chop into the mixture.
Flip and repeat!
After you have repeated that step for each piece, set aside and heat 1 1/2 tbsps olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
When your oil is hot begin by working in manageable batches. Cook the lamb on each side for 4-5 minutes letting it obtain a nice brown color.
Note: Don't cut or poke into the meat yet, we want to keep as much of the juice and tenderness as we can.
Once the lamb is browned on both sides and you believe it to be done, you can check the internal temperature with a thermometer.
Use this guide to help you reach the preparedness that you prefer.
Medium Rare
Pull off of the stove top at 135 degrees, it will raise 10 degrees after allowing it to rest for about 5 minutes. 145 degrees is your final temperature for medium rare.
Medium
Pull off temperature 150 degrees, after resting it will reach 160 degrees.
Well Done
Pull off temperature at 160 degrees, after resting 170 degrees.
Plate and serve with rolls, crostini, asparagus, side salad, brussels sprouts, or rice.
Happy Feast Day, St. Agnes!
Use this prayer to add on to your Catholic prayer before meals.
St. Agnes Prayer
Saint Agnes, who had for nothing human glory and with joy suffered death by martyrdom for the One, who died for all of us, I ask you humbly, deign to intercede for me in every minute of this day and obtain for me the grace (mention your request). Let your prayer give me comfort in times of trials and torments.
Amen.
Holy Thursday Prayer of Surrender
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, My memory, my understanding And my entire will, All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me.
Amen.
Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Easter Meal Prayer
Creative God and Lord of life,
you who call forth from the darkness of death all those who love you,
we rejoice, on this Easter Sunday,
in the Resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Visit our home and this table with your bright blessing of peace and life.
We pause in the midst of this prayer
to remember all the holy dead of our family
who live now in you and who await the final and glorious resurrection of the dead.
May they and we, because of our faith in you, our God,
taste in the victory of life over death.
May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior,
be our guest as we celebrate his Resurrection with this Easter Sunday dinner.
Bless those whose work to prepare this meal has truly been a work of prayer,
and bless all of us who shall share it with Easter love and joy.
May you then bless this table and this food, and each of us in your holy name:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday.
For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.
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