From her very early years, the notably beautiful St. Agatha dedicated her life to God. She became a “consecrated virgin,” a state in life where women choose to remain celibate and give themselves wholly to Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer and service. That did not stop men from desiring her and making unwanted advances toward her. However, one of the men who desired Agatha, because he was of a high diplomatic ranking, thought he could force her to turn away from her vow and force her to marry. His persistent proposals were consistently spurned by Agatha, so he had her arrested.
Although St. Agatha was faced with torture and possible death, she simply reaffirmed her belief in God by praying: “Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil.” With tears falling from her eyes, she prayed for courage.
Eventually, after unspeakable crimes were committed against her and she faced severe torture, St. Agatha prayed, “Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world, and given me patience to suffer: receive now my soul.” She is said to have died in 251. Among other things, St. Agatha is the patron saint of breast cancer patients.
Let us pray. “Saint Agatha, you suffered greatly because of your faith and purity. Help heal all those who are sick, especially those who have cancer and protect those, especially women, who are in any danger. Amen.”
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A personal note from the pastor: Having been through radiation and two rounds of chemotherapy in the past 12 months, I can personally attest to this – true joy comes from Christ and can carry us through any trial that life throws at us. True joy, trusting that God will make everything work out for good, in the end, comes from picking up our Crosses and following Christ as best we can. That may not be following Him “perfectly” every day, but it is still following Him as best we can. As I overheard one day in the radiation clinic’s waiting room (from another patient): “I don’t have a lot left, but I still have my heart – and with that I can always love.” St. Agatha, pray for us.
