Today we will follow the guidance of Hebrews 13:7, which tells us “remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.” One leader very much worth remembering was St. Agatha, a virgin and martyr in third-century Sicily. As a young woman, she was very much on fire with the love of God. She chose to lead a life of consecrated virginity in order to be even closer to the God. When she later declined a marriage proposal from a powerful suitor, she was reported to the Roman authorities for practicing Christianity, a crime punishable by death. She was arrested, tried, imprisoned and executed. Her execution included an array of outrageous tortures, including the cutting off of her breasts, but through it all, St. Agatha remained faithful to the God she loved.
Hebrews 13:7 tells us that we should remember our leaders who spoke God’s word to us, consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith, so let us now consider the outcome of St. Agatha’s life. It was not a successful life by worldly standards. It only lasted 20 years or so. There was no marriage and no children. The greatness of her life is not due to what she gave up (the vain joys of this earth) but to what she found (the true joys of heaven). She found God, and wouldn’t let him go, trusting that God would never to let her go. With truest joy she could pray “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.” We can share the joy of St. Agatha today by joining her in prayer and asking for her intercession.