St. Agatha was a virgin and Martyr. She was born around 231 in either Catania or Palermo, Sicily, to a rich and noble family. She inspires us to embrace suffering with true faith. People of Nazareth did not believe in Jesus; she taught what it means to be true faith through her martyrdom.
One day, a woman named Aphrodisia, who was a servant of the Roman governor, Quintianus, was sent to persuade Agatha to abandon her faith. Aphrodisia was cruel and heartless, and she tried to break Agatha's spirit with cruel words and actions.
However, instead of responding with anger or hatred, Agatha prayed for Aphrodisia's conversion. She asked God to forgive Aphrodisia and to bring her to the truth.
Aphrodisia was deeply moved by Agatha's words and actions. She began to question her own beliefs and eventually converted to Christianity. Aphrodisia's conversion was a testament to Agatha's faith and forgiveness. Despite being tortured and imprisoned, Agatha chose to forgive her persecutors and to pray for their conversion.
Saint Agatha teaches us to deepen our faith in God. True faith is demonstrated by praying for our persecutors. The prayer of forgiveness deepens our faith and can also convert our persecutors' hearts, leading them to Jesus.
During His public ministry, Jesus returned to His native place, Nazareth. As Raymond E. Brown notes, this marked an inclusion of “His own” people in His mission. Now Jesus is a prophet not the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus was met with skepticism and unbelief by those who knew Him best. Despite this, His power remained unwavering, and He continued to perform miracles for those who believed.
Jesus doesn't require our affirmation to reveal Himself as God. Instead, we need faith to perceive Him. Saint Augustine of Hippo coined the phrase "Crede ut intelligas" ("Believe that you may understand"), emphasizing St. Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury later built upon this idea with "fides quaerens intellectum" ("Faith seeking understanding"), highlighting how faith prompts a deeper search for understanding.
The lack of faith among Jesus' own people prevented them from seeking a deeper understanding of Him. Instead, they saw Him merely as the son of a carpenter. As Christians, we must cultivate true faith, demonstrated through our prayer and forgiveness. Faith is the foundation of our life in Christ. It helps us to know him more and love him with the hope of meeting him in heaven.
-Fr. Raja MSFS
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