Readings: Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15, Ps. 103:1-2,13-14,17-18, Mark 6:1-6
“The Lord disciplines those he loves and chastises every child he accepts. Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:6-7)
- The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that God disciplines (chastises) us not out of hatred but because he wants us to learn. The saying goes, “Never regret a day in your life: good days give happiness; bad days give experience, and worst days give lessons.” Truthfully, we learn more from our painful moments than our happy ones. Every sad event is a blessing in disguise.
- The story is told of a man who, while travelling with his son, visited a very poor couple whose lives were entirely dependent on the only cow they had. The cow was their source of milk, transportation, and tractor on the farm. Despite their poverty, they were quite content with their lives. While the man left, he told his son to push the cow down a steep hill. The son protested, “What will happen to this poor couple?” His father said: “Just do it.”
- Many years passed, and this boy became a grown-up man. It was time for him to get married, and he accompanied his fiancé to her parents’ home. Upon getting there, he recognised that her parents were the poor couple whom he had killed their only cow, but to his utter amazement, they had become the wealthiest family in that village. He could not contain himself, so he confessed his crime of years ago and said that he wanted to know how the couple managed to survive afterwards.
- With a huge smile, the girl’s father got up from his seat and hugged the boy, thanking him profusely for what he had done many years before. According to him, the death of their only cow was very painful at first, but it forced him and his wife to look beyond that cow. The man added that when they found the cow at the bottom of the hill the next morning, they wanted to cut the meat for sale only to realise that the cow had been very sick all along. If they had continued drinking its milk, they would have died themselves.
- Indeed, we cannot but agree with St. Paul that all things work unto good for those who love God. (Romans 8:28). Never get angry with God for allowing painful things to happen to you. Like the boy who did not understand why his father told him to kill the couple’s only cow, there are so many things we do not understand about God. We have to trust Him.
- Jesus experienced something painful among his people when he went there to preach. They looked down on him. They took offence at Jesus because they felt he claimed to be something other than the ordinary carpenter they knew him as. Jesus did not get angry with them; he did not curse them. Instead, He said: “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and house.”
- To this day, those who believe that Jesus is only a human being continue to quote this passage as a justification for the fact that Jesus had biological brothers and sisters. Anyone who truly believes Jesus is God would know that for God, nothing is impossible. If God could take flesh in Mary’s womb without the intervention of a man, do we say God wasn’t also capable of giving Mary the grace of preserving her virginity even after the birth of Jesus?
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Agatha of Sicily. Born around 231 AD in Catania or Palermo, she was a deeply devoted virgin and one of the Catholic Church’s most honoured martyrs. Coming from a wealthy and noble family, Agatha chose to dedicate her life to God early on, embracing the life of a consecrated virgin. This commitment involved remaining celibate and serving Jesus and the Church through prayer and acts of service.
Agatha faced unwanted attention from Quintianus, a powerful official who sought to force her into marriage. When she refused his advances, especially during the Decian persecution of Christians, Quintianus had her arrested, expecting that torture or death would lead her to abandon her faith. Agatha remained unshaken, famously praying, “Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am.” Quintianus tried to break her spirit by imprisoning her in a brothel, but Agatha's faith never faltered. After a month of suffering, she reaffirmed her commitment to serving Jesus, leading Quintianus to imprison and torture her further. She endured horrific tortures, including being stretched on a rack, burned, whipped, and having her breasts severed.
Despite the agony, Agatha found comfort in a vision of St. Peter, who healed her wounds, though she did not seek relief from her tormentors. Quintianus’s relentless torture could not deter her faith. Agatha prayed, “Lord, my Creator, receive now my soul,” and passed away around 251 AD. In religious art, St. Agatha is often shown with shears, tongs, or her severed breasts on a plate, symbolising her martyrdom. She is the patron saint of Sicily, bellfounders, breast cancer patients, Palermo, rape victims, and wet nurses, and is invoked for protection against fires. Her feast day is celebrated on February 5.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, help us look beyond our pains to see your hand in them. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Agatha, Virgin, Martyr Liturgical Colour: Red. Bible Study: Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15, Ps. 103:1-2,13-14,17-18, Mark 6:1-6).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu