Almost nothing is known of this saint except that she was very young—12 or 13—when she was martyred in the last half of the third century. Various modes of death have been suggested—beheading, burning, strangling.
Legend has it that Agnes was a beautiful girl whom many young men wanted to marry. Among those she refused, one reported her to the authorities for being a Christian. She was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution. The legend continues that a man who looked upon her lustfully lost his sight and had it restored by her prayer. Agnes was condemned, executed, and buried near Rome in a catacomb that eventually was named after her. The daughter of Constantine built a basilica in her honor.
Reflection
Like that of Maria Goretti in the 20th century, the martyrdom of a virginal young girl made a deep impression on a society enslaved to a materialistic outlook. Also like Agatha, who died in similar circumstances, Agnes is a symbol that holiness does not depend on length of years, experience, or human effort. It is a gift God offers to all.
Saint Sebastian’s Story (c. 256 – January 20, 287)
Almost nothing is historically certain about Sebastian except that he was a Roman martyr, was venerated in Milan even in the time of Saint Ambrose and was buried on the Appian Way, probably near the present Basilica of St. Sebastian. Devotion to him spread rapidly, and he is mentioned in several martyrologies as early as 350.
The legend of Saint Sebastian is important in art, and there is a vast iconography. Scholars now agree that a pious fable has Sebastian entering the Roman army because only there could he assist the martyrs without arousing suspicion. Finally he was found out, brought before Emperor Diocletian and delivered to Mauritanian archers to be shot to death. His body was pierced with arrows, and he was left for dead. But he was found still alive by those who came to bury him. He recovered, but refused to flee.
One day he took up a position near where the emperor was to pass. He accosted the emperor, denouncing him for his cruelty to Christians. This time the sentence of death was carried out. Sebastian was beaten to death with clubs. He was buried on the Appian Way, close to the catacombs that bear his name.
Reflection
The fact that many of the early saints made such a tremendous impression on the Church—awakening widespread devotion and great praise from the greatest writers of the Church—is proof of the heroism of their lives. As has been said, legends may not be literally true. Yet they may express the very substance of the faith and courage evident in the lives of these heroes and heroines of Christ.
Fabian was a Roman layman who came into the city from his farm one day as clergy and people were preparing to elect a new pope. Eusebius, a Church historian, says a dove flew in and settled on the head of Fabian. This sign united the votes of clergy and laity, and he was chosen unanimously.
He led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of Decius in 250 A.D. Saint Cyprian wrote to his successor that Fabian was an “incomparable” man whose glory in death matched the holiness and purity of his life.
In the catacombs of Saint Callistus, the stone that covered Fabian’s grave may still be seen, broken into four pieces, bearing the Greek words, “Fabian, bishop, martyr.” St. Fabian shares the celebration of his liturgical feast with St. Sebastian on January 20.
Reflection
We can go confidently into the future and accept the change that growth demands only if we have firm roots in the past, in a living tradition. A few pieces of stone in Rome are a reminder to us that we are bearers of more than 20 centuries of a living tradition of faith and courage in living the life of Christ and showing it to the world. We have brothers and sisters who have “gone before us with the sign of faith,” as the First Eucharistic Prayer puts it, to light the way for us.
Fr. Mike continues reflecting on the meaning of faith and how it works in our lives. We learn that faith is a grace from God, a supernatural virtue that is not contrary to human freedom or reason. Fr. Mike reminds us that to have faith is not just to believe in God, but to believe God and everything he says. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 150-155.
As we dive into a new chapter today, we learn about how we are called to respond to God’s Revelation. In particular, we discover that Mary and Abraham are models of faith who show us how to be obedient by submitting our intellect and will to God. Fr. Mike assures us that even though God doesn’t usually give us the whole picture of our lives, he gives us just enough light to take the next step in faith. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 142-149.
Today, we arrive, with Fr. Mike, at the In Brief section for Article III. Together, we revisit eight of the main ideas or “nuggets” from the readings of the past six days. Fr. Mike concludes this section by reminding us of the importance of the unity between and veneration of the 46 books of the Old Testament and the 27 of the New. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 134-141.
29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 30 It was of Him that I said, “Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because He existed before me.” 31 I did not know Him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptise with water was so that He might be revealed to Israel.’ 32 And John declared, ‘I saw the Spirit come down on Him like a dove from heaven and rest on Him. 33 I did not know Him myself, but He who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The Man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I have seen and I testify that He is the Chosen One of God.’
This happened to me several times while I was overseas. The Army had some “guests” we were keeping. Apparently, they didn’t like our hospitality and began to riot. So, we sent in the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), and the riot ended rather quickly. That’s all I can tell you about that. But peace reigned again. I like that. But that’s not the peace our good Lord was talking about. He didn’t mean sending angels down to do a quick and brutal beat down on people. He was talking about the peace in our soul. Peace is not a “what”. Peace is a “Who.” Jesus is our peace, and He is a “Who.” If we want peace, we must have that “Who” inside of us. This gift of peace is one that the world cannot take away. “We want peace on Earth!” Great. I’m all for that. I was in an organization that enforced peace, but I’d much rather see people convert to Christ than receive an American bullet.
If you want peace, let Christ into your souls. Then you will have peace and a lot of happiness. That happiness will be deep and abiding. It will change over time and become deeper. It will be different, but different is not always bad. The true way to peace is Christ. It is not a negotiation. Negotiations involve conflict and don’t get to the root cause. The root cause of evil in the world is sin. “Nobody ever says that!” Shocking! The way to peace is Christ.
In every 12-Step Program, what is the basis for maintaining sobriety or abstinence? Do participants just “white knuckle” it? In these programs, there is a phase in which people have a spiritual awakening. They have something far better. They have God in their souls, and they no longer want the booze or drugs. It’s in the literature…check it. The same is true for us. Having Christ in our souls is how we get peace.
Recently, we had a Spanish quinceañera for a 15-year-old girl, and I gave her the secret to happiness. You all know what the secret to happiness is don’t you? It is to be holy. I haven’t done my job in over 18 years if you don’t know that by now. It is to be holy – that’s what Jesus said, and I tend to remember my boss’ words. You will have a peace that nobody can take from you. Look it up. It’s in the black part of the Book. He said, “You will have a peace that no one can take from you.” Our happiness lies in a Person and not in things. Even rich people get upset – did you know that? I was the curate at the richest parish in the diocese, and we had people who would get upset even though they had boo-koo cha-ching. The secret to happiness is having peace in your soul. And that peace comes with Christ.
That inner peace – that place where Christ resides in our souls – cannot be removed by any outward occurrence, be it spiritual or temporal. It can only be removed by us through neglect or unrepentant venial sin and directly by committing mortal sin and throwing Christ out of our souls. The only thing that can take our peace away is us. People may challenge our peace, and bad things may happen to us. We may get Covid. We may have our cars scratched. We may get cut off in traffic. People may give us the one finger salute. I’ve been here for 18 years, and I haven’t been made a Monsignor yet. And I’m very hurt. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “If this is how you treat your friends, Lord, no wonder you have so few.” Granted, sometimes our peace may be threatened, and we’ll be upset. But that is just normal.
Two by-products of having Christ in our souls is that it gets better and better the closer you grow to Christ. Your situations will be different that’s true. You’ll be older, maybe not as good looking, and you may not have as much hair. Nowadays at the barber shop, I try to convince myself that “I’m too sexy for my hair.” But whether it’s by scissor or by time, I’m losing mine. Your happiness will increase as your love for Christ and His presence in your soul increases. You will find that you will have more energy because you won’t be distracted by fighting all those other things.
The second by-product of having Christ in your soul is that you will have more friends. You’ll have more people who want to be around you and not because of the things you bake or cook although I appreciate that as your pastor. People will like being around you. They may not be able to define it, but there is something about you that they like being around. They feel wonderful while they are with you and as they leave. You will bring Christ to them. Look at Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II. People wanted to be around them – not to ask questions or ask for favors – but just to be with them. Why? Because of He who was inside their souls. And He who was inside them can also be inside us. This is the peace our Lord has come to offer us. Whether we take it or not is up to us.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________ You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Fr. Mike unpacks the vital unity between the Old and New Testaments. Together, we examine prefigurements and types from the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New. We also examine the importance of the study of Scripture for each and every Catholic. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 128-133.
Fr. Mike explores the formation of the canon of Scripture. He emphasizes the importance of contemplating and venerating all 73 books of both the New and Old Testaments given to us through Sacred Tradition. Together, with Fr. Mike, we further examine the definition of the canon of Scripture throughout history, spanning from the late 4th to the mid-15th century. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 120-127.
Margaret was born in Klis Fortress in the Kingdom of Croatia, the eighth and last daughter (9th of 10 children) of King Bela IV. Her aunt was St. Elizabeth of Hungary. The royal family had moved to this region of their kingdom during the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241. Her parents vowed that if Hungary was freed from the Mongols, they would give Margaret up to the religious life, and when she was four years old, her parents sent Margaret to the Dominican monastery at Veszprém. When she was 10 years old, she was sent to the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin, which her parents had founded on Nyulak Szigete near Buda. Today, this is called Margaret Island in her honor and is a part of Budapest. This is where she spent the rest of her life. At the age of 12, she became a novice. Even though she was of royal blood, she refused any special treatment, and made efforts to do the work no one else wanted to do. Many attempts were made by her father to arrange a political marriage for her with King Ottokar II of Bohemia. Margaret resisted all of these attempts and took solemn vows when she was eighteen years old. She also received the Consecration of Virgins along with some other royals to prevent her father from forcing her into marriage and having her vows dispensed by the Pope.
Margaret practiced many forms of penance, including wearing an iron girdle, hairshirts, and shoes spiked with nails. She prayed continually and fasted extensively. She also performed the most menial and repulsive tasks in the monastery, and on behalf of the poor and sick. These severe mortifications ultimately brought about her early death on January 18, 1271. She was venerated as a saint shortly after her death, and her brother, King Stephen V championed the cause for her canonization. Between 1271 and 1276, investigations were conducted as part of the cause. Seventy-four miracles were attributed to her intercession; many of them involved curing illnesses. One person was even raised from the dead. Despite these reports and even first-hand testimony of those cured, her cause did not advance. Subsequent attempts to canonize her were again made in 1640 and 1770, but she was not officially canonized until Pope Pius XII proclaimed her a saint on November 19, 1943, which was the feast day of her aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
