St. Agatha, Virgin, Martyr

1 Kings 8:1-7,9-13
Mark 6:53-56

THE GLORY OF GOD IS IN OUR MIDST

Today celebrates the memorial of St. Agatha. Agatha means good, excellent, noble, etc. From her very early years, Agatha dedicated her life to God as a consecrated virgin. She desired to give herself totally to Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer and service.

A high diplomat named Quintianus thought he could get her to turn away from her vow to God and force her to marry him. Polite proposals escalated to harassment, arrests, imprisonment, and hideous torture.

Through all of it, Agatha had faith in God and continued her simple prayer of single-heartedness to Christ. Even the prayer attributed to her death was a single-heart devotion. “Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world, and given me patience to suffer: receive now my soul.”

Our faith in God and his presence bestows blessings upon us. Christ has told us also already that if we have faith we can make the impossible possible. By faith, we can do all things.
If we take our minds back to the story of the encounter of Jesus with Jairus the official and the miraculous healing of the woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years and then Jairus’ daughter eventually restored to life, we can see a display of faith in Jesus.

If we recall, this entire scene was heavily surrounded by crowds who started spreading all these wonders the Lord performed. It did not take long for the people to express and radiate their faith.

As He passed through the villages and towns many people started having faith in him especially with all the miracles and witnesses still lingering around. Their faith began to grow.

Mark emphasizes the garment of Christ. Jesus is seen dressed in clothes with hems- the garments of prayer; a sign of his priestly and healing office and the presence of God working in their midst to offer them restoration and salvation as mediator before the Father.

All this happened so that they could have faith in him as the Son of God. Faith in God reveals his glory in our midst. It is a gaze we must always focus on. His presence, His glory that he wants to bring into our midst for us to share in the divine life of God.

In today’s first reading. King Solomon together with all the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the Temple. The cloud filled the Temple in Jerusalem such that the priests could no longer carry out their ministry. The glory of the Lord filled the Temple. God has created all things and He has the power over all things
In Isaiah chapter 66:1-2; ‘Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”The glory of God among the people shows the willingness of God to offer us his divine life, to dwell and extend in our midst as the Holy One of Israel.

God’s presence is in our midst and we must discern his will and remain faithful to the holiness of life he has called us to daily before his altar and other altars where He wants to see our obedience, love, and humble sacrifices. They are evidence of our love for our God and his glory in our midst.

Fr Joseph Osho