February 5--St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

St. Agatha—February 5

St. Agatha is one of the virgin-martyrs of the early Church in 251.  As with many virgin-martyrs, she attracted the attention of a Roman official, who wanted to marry her.  She refused because she vowed herself to Christ.  Thus, she was tortured and eventually killed.  Her name is in the first Eucharistic prayer along with the other virgin-martyrs:  Lucy, Anastasia, Agnes, and Cecilia.

Virginity was a way of life in the early Church, even to the point of being set apart through consecration.  They were not nuns, but rather, women who lived their everyday lives dedicated to God.  The Church honored their choice and celebrates their purity and chastity.  Today, the Church has a rite of consecration for virgins and there are over 3000 consecrated virgins in the world today and in about 86 U.S. dioceses.

Virginity and the sanctity of sexuality are not well respected in our society today.  The Centers for Disease Control regularly issue reports on sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases.  Virginity is often scoffed at and sexual activity is often promoted as an inalienable right of the individual.  However, Jesus calls us to a higher standard, the standard of love.  The Catechism states:  “Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself.  It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will” (par. 1620).  We would do well to be joyful for the gift of sexuality as it is lived out in marriage and virginity.