5 Feb – Memorial for St. Agatha, virgin and martyr
We have little reliable information about this martyr who has been honoured since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha (d.250) lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha’s sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. Handed over to a brothel, she refused to accept customers.
After rejecting Quinctianus’ advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off. She told the judge, “Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?” One version has it that St. Peter healed her. She was then imprisoned again, then rolled on live coals; when she was near death, an earthquake struck. In the destruction that followed, a friend of the magistrate was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died.
Legend says that carrying her veil in procession, taken from her tomb in Catania, has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.
- Patron Saint Index
1 Kgs 2:1-4,10-12
Mk 6:7-13
…he instructed them to take nothing for the journey…
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to experience walking the Camino de Santiago. I use the term ‘experience’, as it was an 11-day trip as opposed to the usual month-long plus journey taken by those who traverse the paths stretching across Spain and converging at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. During my preparation for the walk, I was often puzzled and felt apprehensive about the minimal number of possessions that pilgrims and hikers bring with them for the trip. I simply could not picture myself surviving on so few things; but as it turned out, I got used to it quite quickly. It was a memorably freeing experience, and a good reminder that excessive worrying often proves to be an exercise in futility.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus sends his disciples out on their missionary journey with only the bare essentials. They were to go about with only a staff, the clothes on their back and their sandals. They could not carry even a spare tunic to keep themselves warm at night. The primary means of their survival was the kindness and hospitality of others. A successful mission would require courage to not only venture into the unknown, but to be vulnerable and trust that God would protect them even in the harshest of circumstances.
Perhaps it is not everyday that we see ourselves as missionaries of Christ, even though it is part of our calling as Christians. Most of us are not sent out to distant lands, but we are continually sent into our homes, workplaces, schools and communities. What are the bare essentials for such a mission? I would say that one needs a prayer life, an actual relationship with God, a willingness to be open to others and a thirst to learn about the faith. These dispositions would place us in a posture of openness and attentiveness, making us more receptive to God’s grace at work in our lives. When we let divine grace flow through us, trust in God grows naturally, and our words and actions will begin to reflect Christ to others. It is then that our mission can truly take flight.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
Prayer: Loving God, teach us to travel lightly through our lives, to trust in your providence, and to rely less on our own certainty and more on our relationship with you.
Thanksgiving: Gracious God, we thank you for the encounters that free us from worry, for the kindness of others that sustains us, and for your faithful presence in every step we take.
OXYGEN 
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