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- ST. AGATHA
- Feastday:
February 5th
- Patroness of
Bellmakers
Though we have
evidence that Agatha was venerated at least as far back as the sixth
century, the only facts we have about her are that she was born in
Sicily and died there a martyr.
In the legend
of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important
family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and
resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One
of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he
could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time
of persecution, he had her arrested and brought before the judge --
himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with torture and
possible death, but she simply affirmed 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."
Legend tells
us that Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to
change her mind. Quintian brought her back before him after she had
suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but
Agatha had never wavered, proclaiming that her freedom came from
Jesus. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel
-- a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a
great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in
Jesus, Quintian had her tortured. He refused her any medical care
but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of
St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a
final prayer: "Lord, my Creator, You have always protected me from
the cradle; You have taken me from the love of the world and given
me patience to suffer. Receive my soul."
Because one of
the tortures she supposedly suffered was to have her breasts cut
off, she was often depicted carrying her breasts on a plate. It is
thought that blessing of the bread that takes place on her feast may
have come from the mistaken notion that she was carrying loaves of
bread.
Because she
was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is
considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also
considered the patroness of bellmakers for an unknown reason --
though some speculate it may have something to do with the fact that
bells were used as fire alarms.
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-
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IN THIS ISSUE:
HIS Servant
by Bro. Pete Lapid
The Father Speaks
By Fr. S. Binzler, SJ
Our Faith
By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
Place of Refuge
By Philip Yuson
Surabaya Corner
By Ramon Martillano
Community Life
By Tintin Magbitang
Reflection
By Fr. Agustinus Belo,
PR
Straight from the Heart
By Carolle Bautista
Catholic News Service
On Focus
By Sansu Garin
Saint for the Month
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