February 5th - St. Agatha
Born at Palermo or Catania, Sicily; died at Catania, Sicily, c. 250 (?).
There certainly was a martyr named Agatha at Catania, who was venerated
there from very early times as demonstrated by her inclusion in Saint
Jerome's Martyrology, the calendar of Carthage (c. 530), the canon of the
Roman Mass, and Carmina by Venantius Fortunatus, but nothing else is known
of her. There are many versions of the basic legend included here.
Agatha must have been beautiful and wealthy for the Sicilian consul
Quintinian tried to force her to become his wife. When she refused because
she had already dedicated herself to God as a virgin, he turned against
her
and decided to punish her by installing the pure girl in a brothel for a
month. She resisted all attempts to shame her.
When this didn't work, Quintinian, who did not believe in God, brought her
before the courts on the charge of belonging to the outlawed Christian
sect.
The accounts of her tortures are frightful-racked, scourged, branded. Even
her breasts were cut off, and she was allowed no medicines or bandages or
food when she was sent to a dark dungeon. It is said that Saint Peter
appeared to her in a vision accompanied by a youth carrying a torch. He
applied ointment and healed her wounds. Four days later, unmoved my the
miraculous cure of her wounds, Quintinian caused her to be rolled naked
over
live coals mixed with pots herds.
Agatha would pray passionately throughout all this: "Lord Jesus Christ:
you
know what is in my heart and mind. Take me and all that I am and make me
Your own." Naturally Agatha believed that death would be a happy release
from her torturers into the arms of Jesus. They carried her broken body
back
to her prison, while she prayed for release. At that moment, just after an
earthquake, Agatha died in prison of her injuries.
A saint who bore such trials was greatly revered, and her tomb became a
sacred spot for Christians. Saint Gregory the Great, for example, took a
church which the Goths used in Rome, and reconsecrate it to the saint. The
church of Sant'Agata dei Goti still stands, preserving the memory of this
virgin martyr.
In a later period pictures of Saint Agatha carrying her severed breasts on
a
platter were mistaken as bread, which led to the practice of blessing
bread
on Saint Agatha's Day.
Her intercession as patron of Malta is credited with preserving the island
from the Turks in 1551. Her prayers were also efficacious in preventing
the
eruption of Mt. Etna on several occasions. Its torrent of burning sulphur
and stones was averted from the walls of Catania several times by the
silken
veil of Saint Agatha (taken from her tomb), fixed on a lance, and carried
in
procession. As the sacred relic met the lava, the flow would stop and the
eruption end.
Her name is found in the litany of the saints and in all martyrologies:
Greek and Latin (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia,
Farmer, Husenbeth, White).
In art, Saint Agatha is a maiden martyr with a palm, two breasts held on a
platter, and either pincers or shears (Tabor). Sometimes she is shown (1)
with her breasts cut off or held in tongs; (2) crowned, with tongs and
palms; (3) covering her shorn breasts as an angel brings her the martyr's
palm; (4) holding a unicorn's horn; (5) with a torch and burning church in
her hand (Roeder), or with a long veil (Tabor). She is depicted in the
mosaics of Sant'Apolinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy (Farmer) and a picture
of
her martyrdom by Sebastiano del Piombo at the Pitti Palace in Florence,
Italy (Tabor).
Agatha is the patroness of Catania, where she preserves Mt. Etna from
erupting. She is also patroness of bell-founders (shaped like her breasts,
or possibly because bells are used to warn of fire), firefighters,
girdlers,
jewellers, maltsters, nurses, wet-nurses, weavers, and shepherdesses.
Agatha
is invoked
Saint Quote:
But when does flesh receive the bread which He calls His flesh? The
faithful
know and receive the Body of Christ if they labor to be the body of
Christ;
and they become the body of Christ if they study to live by the Spirit of
Christ: for that which lives by the Spirit of Christ is the body of
Christ.
- St. Augustine
Bible Quote:
48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:48)
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PRAYER TO THE MIRACULOUS INFANT OF PRAGUE
Dear Jesus, Little Infant of Prague,
how tenderly you love us!
Your greatest joy is to dwell among us
and to bestow your blessing upon us.
So many who turned to you with confidence
have received graces
and had their petitions granted.
I also come before you now
with this special request (list intention here).
Dear Infant, rule over me
and do with me and mine as you will,
for I know that in your divine wisdom and love
you will arrange everything for the best.
Do not withdraw your hand from me,
but protect and bless me forever.
Dear Infant, help me in my needs.
Make me truly happy with you in time and in eternity,
and I shall thank you forever
with all my heart. Amen.
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