Do you have something profoundly meaningful to you, to the extent of sacrificing your life in defending it? And if you are faithful, is your faith worthy to defend at any cost, as martyred saints have done?
Blessed are those who are willing to defend their
faith and its values and virtues to the point of death, as exemplified by St.
Agnes of Rome, whose memorial feast is January 21.
As a young beautiful virgin, St. Agnes of Rome was a
target of young men’s desire of courtship. However, Agnes’ virginity, which symbolizes
her beauty and purity, was not for auction of men’s desires, as it was
consecrated to Christ. On other words, Agnes was untouchable to men on earth.
But, this put her in trouble with the Roman authority, as these men, who
pursued Agnes, were not happy about being turned down by her because of her
consecration to Christ, and one of them reported her Christian status to the
authority. It was during the reign of Diocletian, and Christians were still
illegal and subject to persecution by the Roman law.
The Roman authorities tried to strip her Christian
faith. But, she refused. Then, she was given a choice by the authorities: to
bow down to a Roman pagan deity, Vesta, or to be raped by men at a public
brothel. She rejected. So, the Roman authorities stripped her naked and brought
to the brothel, leaving her at liberty of lustful men’s desire. However,
according to a legend, Agnes’ hair suddenly grew long enough to reach her legs,
thus covering her body. Though her cloth was stripped away to be humiliated and
raped, God provided the cover as she defended her faith by refusing to submit
herself to a pagan deity. Then, as lustful men tried to approach Agnes, the
divine lightening struck them blind, keeping her untouchable. So, finally, the authorities beheaded her.
St. Agnes never ever compromised with regard to her
faith and consecrated virginity, which represents her purity. In fact, her
consecrated virginity – purity is rooted in her steadfast faith. It is her
response to God’s covenant love, chesed,
with her. And, she defended it through to the point of her death. She let
nothing can affect her to break her commitment to her faith and consecrated
virginity.
The way St. Agnes of Rome lived a life of
consecration to Christ, thus, defending her virginity, also reflects what St.
Paul of Tarsus wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:34, as her virginity enabled her to
devote her whole being, both in body and spirit, to Christ, in whom she lived
by virtue of her consecration. Her consecrated virginity, therefore, symbolizes
not only her purity and chastity but her total devotion and commitment to
Christ and his Kingdom.
The First Reading for the Memorial Feast of St.
Agnes, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, reminds us of our calling, which is by virtue of
Baptism and which we affirm willfully at Confirmation. And, this calling is
from Christ, who has become wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption for us, as we are in him. Because of this, St. Agnes was not afraid
of her persecutor, thus courageously standing for faith and consecrated
virginity. And, as the set of parables of the Kingdom of God in the Gospel
Reading (Matthew 13:44-46) reflects, the Kingdom is like something worth to
attain at all cost and no matter what, St. Agnes defended her faith and
consecrated virginity to the extent of death, keeping these immeasurable
treasures all the way faithfully.
No wealth could buy her consecrated virginity, which
was the mark of her faith and purity. No
status could sway her mind to trade her consecrated virginity.
While we do everything we can, even to the point of our death, to attain the Kingdom of God, we defend what is indispensable to enter the Kingdom, such as faith and purity, at all cost – even to the point of death. And, we have no need to be afraid, as Christ calls us to be in him, making himself become wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
The name of St. Agnes, Agnes, means lamb (agnus) in Latin and being chaste and
pure (ἁγνός /hagnos). After all, her
name tells that this consecrated virgin, St. Agnes, is pure lamb in the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), Christ, being
unblemished, symbolized with her consecrated virginity.
Do you treasure your faith, along with its values
and virtues, as a man did with what he discovered and what a merchant did with
fine pearls in Jesus’ parable on the Kingdom (Matthew 13:44-46)?
Does your faith motivate you to have something to
defend at all cost as St. Agnes has done?
As you are called by Christ to be in him, who has
become the wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for
you, you do and you defend it at all cost without fear, as exemplified St.
Agnes of Rome, the consecrated virgin, the lamb of purity (hagnos(Gk) agnus(Lt)) in
the Agnus Dei.
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