Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
She wanted to belong to Christ in body and soul, she wanted only Him to be her Bridegroom. She defended the treasure of purity of heart to the end, not fearing cruel tortures, courageously winning the palm of martyrdom.
Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily. She came from an outstanding family. After being baptized, she decided to live in virginity. For this reason, she faced numerous adversities and unfair treatment. The prefect of Catania himself wanted to marry her. And when Agata refused, the prefect got angry and forced her to be placed in a brothel. However, God was watching over her and she did not lose the grace of virginity. Soon she was subjected to terrible torture, mutilated, and then thrown onto red-hot coals, where she gave her spirit to God. She was martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius in 251.
A year after her death, she was venerated as the martyr and heavenly protector of the city of Catania, when after the eruption of the Etna volcano, powerful lava flows miraculously bypassed the city. Until today, St. Agata is venerated in Sicily. Her cult soon spread throughout Europe.
It is worth quoting at this point the reflection of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini on chastity. According to him, it is order, balance, composure and harmony, it is the beauty of love: "Chastity, it is not contempt for the body, makes it easier to give up selfish tendencies, directs energy, focusing it on more and more dedicated and mutually reciprocal service. It is true that purity is associated with austerity, keeping in control. Chastity teaches us discipline of heart, eyes, tongue and all senses. And all this brings freedom, harmony and peace. Chastity is not a negative thing; on the contrary, it is genuine self-mastery and at the same time recognition of Jesus' dominion over our body and life. Saint Paul said the words, which are like fire: " The body, however, is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body" (1 Cor 6:13). "
Reflection on Today’s Gospel – Mk 6:14-29
King Herod was not a bad man. Today's Gospel tells us that there was some good in Herod. Unfortunately, good did not dominate him; Herod lacked moral strength, and therefore evil prevailed in him on the end. Let us consider the good that the Evangelist notes in Herod. Herod - we read in the Gospels - admittedly ordered John to be imprisoned, but he saw in him a righteous and holy man "and defended him; whenever he heard him, he felt very anxious, yet he listened to him willingly". Herod felt that John was speaking to him the word of God, but the word seemed too difficult for him.
He defended John against Herodias, but also agreed to have him imprisoned and beheaded. In short, the word of God proclaimed to him by John the Baptist fell into his heart as if on some rock: it did sprout roots, but immediately then it withered away. Only so much of all of John's preaching remained in Herod's heart that he was overwhelmed by barren and unsettling anxiety.
We read in the Acts of the Apostles that, also like Herod, the Governor Felix heard God's word. He had the Apostle Paul imprisoned, but at the same time he became very interested in the teaching of the Gospel. So, he sent for an Apostle and listened with interest to what Paul told him about Jesus Christ. However, when Paul began to explain that faith in Christ required one to live righteously and to be abstained - and when Paul began talking about God's judgment and the life to come, Governor Felix got scared and ordered Paul to be sent to prison.
I think that it will not hurt any of us if, while listening about the good, but altogether the meaningless reactions and reflection which appeared in the heart of Herod or Felix, we ask ourselves the following question: Perhaps I am also such a rocky soil that readily accepts the grain of God's word, even allows it to sprout roots - but does not allow it to take root in ourselves and further develop. It is a great spiritual defeat when the good that God has bestowed on us becomes subordinated to evil and eventually withers. May the merciful God save us from such a disaster.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george