Saint Agatha - February 5 - Human Dignity

Saint Agatha

February 5

Patron Saint of those

suffering with Breast Cancer

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Agatha, who lived during the 3^rd century.  This saint, whose name in Greek literally means good, took a vow of virginity at a young age. Loyal to her vow, she rejected the advances of a pagan consul named Quintianus. 

Overlooking her vow and her unique human dignity, Quintianus had Agatha arrested for being a Christian, and sent to live in a brothel in hopes of corrupting her.  By God’s grace, Agatha’s faith did not waiver and her virginity remained intact. She was sent back to Quintainus for torture.  Saint Agatha was martyred in Sicily under Emperor Decius.

The dignity of our human personhood does not come from our physical appearance, or our accomplishments or even our accumulation of possessions. Our human dignity comes from our unique creation in the image and likeness of God. In fact the reason we actually exist, is because God loved each of us into being, and through this love continues to hold us in existence. God placed his divine image in every person, endowing each with a spiritual and immortal soul.

As Catholics, we understand the uniqueness of our human person as a unity of our body and soul, meaning that our human dignity also includes our sexuality. Any action that undermines the unity of the body and soul, that treats sexuality as simply a physical activity or treats another person as an object to be used demeans the dignity of the human person.

“Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the

degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. … What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and  adults alike. All have a part to play in this task – not only parents, religious leaders, teachers  and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every member of   society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it.”  Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Bishops, April 16, 2008

For items related to Saint Agatha

please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures

Saint Blaise - February 3

Saint Blaise

February 3

Bishop and Martyr

Patron of those suffering with throat ailments

Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Blaise a fourth century Bishop and martyr. Saint Blaise is also given special recognition with a unique ceremony where the throats of those with ailments or something related to the throat are blessed. This blessing is considered a sacramental of the Church. During this ritual, two blessed white tapers (blessed the day before on February 2 the Day of the Presentation of Jesus also known as Candlemas Day) are pressed against the throat of the faithful and a blessing said.






Butler’s Lives of the Saints records that Saint Blaise devoted his early life to the study of philosophy before becoming a physician. Finding this practice unfulfilling he resolved to spend the rest of his life serving God as a physician of souls. Becoming a Bishop, he served the people of Sebaste, Armenia during a time when Rome was ruled by co-emperor’s, Licinius in the east and Constantine in the west.


Emperor Licinius sent Agricola, governor of Armenia to Sebaste, initially to find animals to be used for the arena games. Instead, Agricola found Saint Blaise deep in prayer. Refusing to recant Christianity, Saint Blaise was arrested. At first Saint Blaise was to be martyred by drowning, but after being thrown into a lake, he taunted his persecutors by standing on the surface of the water and inviting them to walk out to him and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land he was martyred by having his flesh torn with wool combs before his beheading.



Saint Blaise was martyred in 316, though Emperor Constantine had legalized the practice of Christianity in 313.  Licinius, Constantine’s co-emperor had agreed with the legalization, but betrayed Constantine by continuing to persecute the Church and arresting Saint Blaise.  Licinius was finally defeated by Constantine in 324. 

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, Bishop and martyr,
may God deliver you from ailments of the throat
and from every other evil, in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

For items related to Saint Blaise
please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures ____
Art
Stained glass window from the area of Soissons (Picardy, France), early 13th century - St. Blaise confronting the Roman governor


Section of The Last Judgment Sistine Chapel – Michaelangelo (repainted by Daniele da Volterra) Saint Blaise (in red) carries the iron combs used for his torture, Saint Catherine (in green) holds the toothed knife of her martyrdom and St. Sebastian to the right holds arrows.

Feast of Saint Blaise - February 3

Saint Blaise

February 3

Bishop and Martyr

Patron of those suffering with throat ailments



Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Blaise a fourth century Bishop and martyr. Saint Blaise is also given special recognition with a unique ceremony where the throats of those with ailments or something related to the throat are blessed.  This blessing is considered a sacramental of the Church.  During this ritual, two blessed white tapers (blessed the day before on February 2 the Day of the Presentation of Jesus also known as Candlemas Day) are pressed against the throat of the faithful and a blessing said.

Butler’s Lives of the Saints records that Saint Blaise devoted his early life to the study of philosophy before becoming a physician. Finding this practice unfulfilling he resolved to spend the rest of his life serving God as a physician of souls. Becoming a Bishop, he served the people of Sebaste, Armenia during a time when Rome was ruled by co-emperor’s, Licinius in the east and Constantine in the west.

Emperor Licinius sent Agricola, governor of Armenia to Sebaste, initially to find animals to be used for the arena games. Instead, Agricola found Saint Blaise deep in prayer. Refusing to recant Christianity, Saint Blaise was arrested. At first Saint Blaise was to be martyred by drowning, but after being thrown into a lake, he taunted his persecutors by standing on the surface of the water and inviting them to walk out to him and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land he was martyred by having his flesh torn with wool combs before his beheading.

Saint Blaise was martyred in 316, though Emperor Constantine had legalized the practice of Christianity in 313. Licinius, Constantine’s co-emperor had agreed with the legalization, but betrayed Constantine by continuing to persecute the Church and arresting Saint Blaise. Licinius was finally defeated by Constantine in 324. 



Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, Bishop and martyr,
 God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil,  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

                    For items related to Saint Blaise

 please visit

Lynn’s Timeless Treasures  

_____
Art
Stained glass window from Soissons (Picardy, France) - St. Blaise confronting the Roman governor

The Last Judgment Sistine Chapel – Michaelangelo repainted by Daniele da Volterra (St Catherine holds the toothed knife of her martyrdom and St Blaise carries the iron combs used for his torture, St Sebastian is beside them with arrows in his hand.)

The Beatitudes - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Happy are you when you are drawn to the
One who alone can fulfill your happiness.

Today our Gospel message is from Matthew 5:1-12.  Here Jesus gives the prologue to the Sermon on the Mount in the Beatitudes a series of eight invitations to live a life of generosity and virtue by following Jesus. 

  

"As Americans, we often measure our success by how much we produce (even in our spiritual lives).  We expect ourselves to be perfect every  moment of every day.  We view our brokenness as a failure for we have not measured up to what we believe that we should be.  The Beatitudes were a Jewish way of thinking.  They were goals that we should always keep in mind but might never actually reach.  Holiness lies not so much in being perfect as in trying our best.  We are all just "works in progress."  God knows this, and only expects us to do what we can.  This should not be an excuse for complacency, but it is a consolation in our journey." ( New St. Joseph Handbook for Proclaimers of the Word, Liturgical Year A 2011, Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM, page 75)

___
Art
Sistine Chapel Northern Wall-Sermon on the Mount - Cosimo Rosselli