St. Agatha of Sicily
Brian Swanson
Saint reflection on: St. Agatha of Sicily
You may be unsure who St. Agatha of Sicily might be. She was born in raised in Catania, Sicily where she lived all her life. Her family was very wealthy and dedicated to the faith. Around age fifteen she became a consecrated virgin, a state in life where young women choose to remain celibate and give themselves wholly to Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer and service. Later in life she became a deaconess in the church and would prepare people for baptism and holy communion. Being from a rich family and a beautiful woman, that did not stop men from desiring her. A man named Quintianus was the ruler at the time and wished to marry Agatha. She refused and was sent to prison and tortured through iron hooks, torches, whips, burned over coals, and having her breasts torn off. It is said that St. Peter healed her of her wounds. She later died after lots of torture but continue her faith through it all. While burning over the coals her red veil stayed in tact as she died. Later that day when she died, an earthquake struck Catania, Sicily. She is the patron saint Sicily, bellfounders, breast cancer patients, Palermo, rape victims, and nurses.
The reason I chose St. Agatha of Sicily was because I wish to become a nurse someday. I have always been fascinated by what they do and how much they get to interact with people and change lives. Knowing that she is the patron Saint of nurses, what better way than to choose her for this project. When I first read her story I was amazed by what she had done for God, and how much torture she went through all for the will of God. Her everyday life would consist of teach people about the Christian Faith and living a life of chastity. The ways how I can be like her is to continue learning and teaching anyone about the faith and opening up to everyone. I can also continue to live a chaste life everyday and be able to have children if I ever get married, while still living a chaste life. Agatha’s suffering was intense compared to anything I have ever gone through. The ability to continue and keep your faith as you are being torture and living with that pain. The way she would pray as she was being tortured is amazing and can be said that she was very dedicated to God. Although not going through as much as she has, I can still live this in a way of whenever I am in a time of stress or pain, I do not let my anger out on something else but instead, be in a cheerful manner to where I acknowledge that I am stressed or angry and be able to think of the positives to with the help from God. St. Agatha of Sicily’s prayer says, "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." To live in such a way that she could recognize and really experience God’s love for her is amazing. We should know that God is always watching us and keeping us safe. This prayer is a very good prayer to pray if you are feeling tempted or in a state of sin. Knowing how much Agatha has done for God inspires me to continue in my faith and try to be like her someday, where I am able to face hardships in life and overcome them for the greater glory of God.
Saint reflection on: St. Agatha of Sicily
You may be unsure who St. Agatha of Sicily might be. She was born in raised in Catania, Sicily where she lived all her life. Her family was very wealthy and dedicated to the faith. Around age fifteen she became a consecrated virgin, a state in life where young women choose to remain celibate and give themselves wholly to Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer and service. Later in life she became a deaconess in the church and would prepare people for baptism and holy communion. Being from a rich family and a beautiful woman, that did not stop men from desiring her. A man named Quintianus was the ruler at the time and wished to marry Agatha. She refused and was sent to prison and tortured through iron hooks, torches, whips, burned over coals, and having her breasts torn off. It is said that St. Peter healed her of her wounds. She later died after lots of torture but continue her faith through it all. While burning over the coals her red veil stayed in tact as she died. Later that day when she died, an earthquake struck Catania, Sicily. She is the patron saint Sicily, bellfounders, breast cancer patients, Palermo, rape victims, and nurses.
The reason I chose St. Agatha of Sicily was because I wish to become a nurse someday. I have always been fascinated by what they do and how much they get to interact with people and change lives. Knowing that she is the patron Saint of nurses, what better way than to choose her for this project. When I first read her story I was amazed by what she had done for God, and how much torture she went through all for the will of God. Her everyday life would consist of teach people about the Christian Faith and living a life of chastity. The ways how I can be like her is to continue learning and teaching anyone about the faith and opening up to everyone. I can also continue to live a chaste life everyday and be able to have children if I ever get married, while still living a chaste life. Agatha’s suffering was intense compared to anything I have ever gone through. The ability to continue and keep your faith as you are being torture and living with that pain. The way she would pray as she was being tortured is amazing and can be said that she was very dedicated to God. Although not going through as much as she has, I can still live this in a way of whenever I am in a time of stress or pain, I do not let my anger out on something else but instead, be in a cheerful manner to where I acknowledge that I am stressed or angry and be able to think of the positives to with the help from God. St. Agatha of Sicily’s prayer says, "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." To live in such a way that she could recognize and really experience God’s love for her is amazing. We should know that God is always watching us and keeping us safe. This prayer is a very good prayer to pray if you are feeling tempted or in a state of sin. Knowing how much Agatha has done for God inspires me to continue in my faith and try to be like her someday, where I am able to face hardships in life and overcome them for the greater glory of God.
Comments
Post a Comment