Ps 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
Today is the Feast of Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr. In the early Church everyone wanted to be a virgin and a martyr. The ecstasy of heaven and the the glory of heaven was more important than human desire. Saint Agatha is also the patron of breast cancer, nurses and midwives. My wife, Anna, is a retired nurse and a 7 year breast cancer survivor.
Our world today does not hold in much respect for the idea of virginity or martyrdom. Sadly, Saint Agatha reminds us that our pagan world of today is not different from that of Roman times. The internet hides adult pornography from view of others. They are sins that are secret.
I have a friend, Dennis, in Florida who would purposely drive home another way just to avoid a billboard that was suggestive. This brought to mind the life of Saint Agatha today. We can honor her memory and encourage others to do little things to make our world less pagan.
Here are some of the things I ask myself when I examine my conscience. The movies we watch. Is there anything in the movie that would embarrass my friend Dennis or Saint Agatha? The books we read. Is there a theme that glorifies sex, murder or are they inspirational ? Few people are martyrs today but do we encourage our family or ourselves to volunteer our time to help others? The best jobs I ever had was volunteering my time for others.
One thing I noticed about Saints in general. Their life is not their own. It is not that they do not love or enjoy themselves. However, the thing that is common to all saints is that they live for their eternal life and on the way find joy in this life.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
Please pray for some of my family members with health issues.
