ST: AGATHA VIRGIN AND MARTYR %TH FEBRUARY 2013

ST AGATHA VIRGIN & MARTYR 5^TH FEBRUARY 2013 BY IKECHUKWU OGUN P FR

Theosagathos – God is Good. πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστιν, καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρ' ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα - Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change Jas. 1:17. The name AGATHA is a Latinized form of the Greek name Αγαθη (Agathe), derived from Greek αγαθος (agathos) meaning "good". Saint Agatha was a 3^rd century martyr from Sicily-Italy who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. Having dedicated her virginity to God, Agatha, rich and noble, rejected the amorous advances of the low-born Roman prefect Quintianus; she was persecuted by him for her Christian faith. She was given to Aphrodisia, the keeper of a brothel, and her nine daughters, but in response to their threats and entreaties to sacrifice to the idols and submit to Quintianus, she responded: "My courage and my thought be so firmly founded upon the firm stone of Jesus Christ, that for no pain it may not be changed; your words be but wind, your promises be but rain, and your menaces be as rivers that pass, and how well that all these things hurtle at the fundament of my courage, yet for that it shall not move."

 Prayer: Saint Agatha, you suffered sexual assault and indignity because of your faith. Help heal all those who are survivors of sexual assault and protect those women who are in danger. Amen. The influence of a name is so great that if we positively seek for moral and spiritual implication of our various names, it will always go a long way to help us daily towards our journey or pilgrimage into eternity and sanctity of life. The determination herein is not without a strong opposition which, first is sui generis (from myself or yourself as an individual) and then from the environments. Ipso facto, the the word of God says: Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρία,- Mortificate ergo membra vestra, quæ sunt super terram : fornicationem, immunditiam, libidinem, concupiscentiam malam, et avaritiam, quæ est simulacrorum servitus: - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is the service of idols Col. 3: 5. In view of this we ought and must always be conscious of the caveat as the apostles reminded us thus: ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν. καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία [αὐτοῦ], ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.- quoniam omne quod est in mundo, concupiscentia carnis est, et concupiscentia oculorum, et superbia vitæ : quæ non est ex Patre, sed ex mundo est. Et mundus transit, et concupiscentia ejus : qui autem facit voluntatem Dei manet in æternum - For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, which is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away and the concupiscence thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever 1 Jn. 2: 16-17. Consequent to the promise which St. Agatha made to God personally to maintain her virginity, she spurned (refused to accept someone’s inordinate love or friendship) the Roman prefect Quintianus who made advances to her as to break her virginity, hence gaining the glorious crown of virgin and martyr. Virginity is applied to both men and women, to us men individually, the promise of remaining chaste and being a virgin which you did, how many times or how often have you broken it and with how many women? Among these women how many have you actually or really broken their virginity with your deceitful tongue and still continue to break and lustfully swim frequently into their womanhood? Listen to the Word of God: Duo genera abundant in peccatis, et tertium adducit iram et perditionem. Anima calida quasi ignis ardens, non extinguetur donec aliquid glutiat : et homo nequam in ore carnis suæ non desinet donec incendat ignem. Homini fornicario omnis panis dulcis : non fatigabitur transgrediens usque ad finem. Omnis homo qui transgreditur lectum suum, contemnens in animam suam, et dicens : Quis me videt? Tenebræ circumdant me, et parietes cooperiunt me, et nemo circumspicit me : quem vereor? delictorum meorum non memorabitur Altissimus. Et non intelligit quoniam omnia videt oculus illius, quoniam expellit a se timorem Dei hujusmodi hominis timor, et oculi hominum timentes illum: et non cognovit quoniam oculi Domini multo plus lucidiores sunt super solem, circumspicientes omnes vias hominum, et profundum abyssi, et hominum corda, intuentes in absconditas partes. Domino enim Deo antequam crearentur omnia sunt agnita : sic et post perfectum respicit omnia. Hic in plateis civitatis vindicabitur, et quasi pullus equinus fugabitur, et ubi non speravit apprehendetur. Et erit dedecus omnibus, eo quod non intellexerit timorem Domini - Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third brings wrath and destruction. A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour something. And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he has kindled a fire. To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end. Every man that passes beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who sees me? Darkness compasses me about, and the walls cover me, and no man sees me: whom do I fear? The most High will not remember my sins. And he understands not that his eye sees all things, for such a man's fear drives him from the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him: And he knows not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts. For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholds all things. This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken. 31 And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord Sirach 23: 21-31. To women, ladies or girls, have you ever think of consecrating your body to God by remaining a virgin till you get married and still maintain your chastity while with your husband? Indeed, it is not possible that all must get married, for those who may get not married, how do you see yourself and your relationship with God through your moral and spiritual life daily regarding dedicating yourself to God in all you do in life without contaminating the pride of your womanhood? Furthermore, friendship is not sex even when you think or deceitfully be saying among both of you that you will get married, you are not spiritually, morally and Biblically allowed to deflower yourself. This is because the Sacred Scripture is very clear to that, hence to avoid sinful friendship (cf. Sirach 7: 16-17; 1 Cor. 5: 9-11). The Sacred Writ emphasized those who are authorized to have it because of legitimate and licit union, marriage and chastity or abstinence (1 Cor. 7: 1-9). The Bible did not say friendship and sex rather avoidance of intimacy by those who are friends (1 Cor. 6: 12-20) even when you are in courtship. St. Agatha is a model for us all even when we are forced to break our covenant or promise with God. Therefore, from the part of women, the Word of God said:  unusquisque vero temptatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et inlectu unusquisque vero temptatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et inlectu. dein concupiscentia cum conceperit parit peccatum peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit generat morte  - But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death Jas. 1: 14-15. This is because according the Sacred Scripture it is clearly written that: Et sicut non probaverunt Deum habere in notitia, tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum, ut faciant ea quæ non conveniunt,  repletos omni iniquitate, malitia, fornicatione, avaritia, nequitia, plenos invidia, homicidio, contentione, dolo, malignitate : susurrones,  detractores, Deo odibiles, contumeliosos, superbos, elatos, inventores malorum, parentibus non obedientes,  insipientes, incompositos, sine affectione, absque fœdere, sine misericordia. Qui cum justitiam Dei cognovissent, non intellexerunt quoniam qui talia agunt, digni sunt morte : et non solum qui ea faciunt, sed etiam qui consentiunt facientibus - And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness: full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity: whisperers, detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, foolish, dissolute: without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death: and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them Rom. 1: 28-32. Therefore, such people are easily known when seen by their moral and spiritual debased character, because the Bible said: Fornicatio mulieris in extollentia oculorum, et in palpebris illius agnoscetur. In filia non avertente se, firma custodiam, ne inventa occasione utatur se. Ab omni irreverentia oculorum ejus cave, et ne mireris si te neglexerit. Sicut viator sitiens ad fontem os aperiet, et ab omni aqua proxima bibet, et contra omnem palum sedebit, et contra omnem sagittam aperiet pharetram donec deficiat - The fornication of a woman shall be known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids. On a daughter that turns not away herself, set a strict watch: lest finding an opportunity she abuse herself. Take heed of the impudence of her eyes, and wonder not if she slight you. She will open her mouth as a thirsty traveler to the fountain, and will drink of every water near her, and will sit down by every hedge, and open her quiver against every arrow, until she fail Sirach 26: 12-15. Therefore, men should always be like Joseph in the Old Testament when it comes to sexual seduction by women and then women should not be like Pharaoh’s wife (cf. Gen. 39). Through the intercession St. Agatha may we implore the Lord’s  mercy and promised to remain spiritually virgin if we have broken our virginity through deliberate consensus with our friends or conscientiousness to taste the sacred apples or apparent deceit from our so called friends. With the Psalmist let humbly pray for pardon and change of heart as in Ps. 51 De Miserere.