January 21, 2004 Memorial of St. Agnes

Isn't it funny how we picture things, sometimes? Today's first reading is a familiar story, David and Goliath. We often see this story as a cartoon. There was a Disney cartoon where I think Mickey Mouse played David. There have been other cartoons made of the story. There was even a Simpson's episode where Bart plays David and Nelson (the bully with the funny laugh) plays Goliath. But, as we read today, there's nothing funny about the story. Today's reading ends,
“Then David stood over him;
with the Philistine's own sword, which he drew from its sheath,
he dispatched him and cut off his head.“

Today is the Memorial of St. Agatha, also not a funny story. You may wonder, “Deacon, we know you went to classes for a long time, exactly what did you learn?”

Well, one thing I learned was about St. Agatha. In church history class, we each had to write a short paper on a saint. But we didn't get to pick which one. Fr. Molini had a bunch of names in a hat and we had to pick one. I got Agatha. This is what I found out about her.

(Read paper).

Agatha was a far cry from today's so-called pro-choice women. They say, “it's my body. No one can tell me what to do with it.” Agatha was willing to endure torture rather than give up her vow of perpetual chastity. St. Lucy too. Even David faced death knowing that God would keep him safe from the clutches of the Philistine.

I think the message we can take from today's readings, is that whatever God asks of us, it‘s never too much.. He gives us everything we have and everything that we are. If He asks us to give something back, it’s something that he gave us in the first place.