Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
Gospel: Mk 3:1-6
The Lord on the Sabbath

Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of the martyrdom of St. Agnes. St. Ambrose, the bishop, tells us that today is St. Agnes’s birthday, and it is said that she was martyred at the age of twelve. The heinous violence did not spare even this young girl. The power of faith was so immense that it led such a young maiden to bear witness to it. Her slender body had hardly any space to bear wounds, yet she was able to endure such a blow and even overcome it. Girls of her age cannot even bear the anger of their own parents, and when pricked by a needle, they cry out as if severely wounded. But when she faced the blood-stained executioners, she showed no fear. She remained unmoved while bearing the heavy chains; she surrendered her entire body to the swords of the brutal soldiers. She was so young that she did not even understand death, yet she was prepared to face it. Against her will, they dragged her to the altar. Amid the flames, she stretched out her hands to God and, on the blasphemous altar, made the gesture of Christ’s victory. Her neck and hands were bound by chains, but her slender limbs were not restrained.

Today’s Mass Gospel is taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark, which tells of how Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and the controversy that ensued.

We often act like those who were spying on Jesus today, enjoying finding fault with others and using their weaknesses to attack them. Those who were observing Jesus’ today were no different. They hoped to find flaws in everything Jesus did so that they could attack and frame Him. For in their view, one should work for six days and rest on the seventh day. So, if someone healed another person on the seventh day, they were not observing the law regarding the Sabbath that God had established.

Today, when Jesus saw the man with a withered hand living in great pain, He did not choose to turn a blind eye. On the contrary, Jesus chose to take the initiative to reach out, setting an example for us. As Christians, whenever we see those who are seriously ill or in difficult situations in our daily lives, we should also, like Christ, take the initiative to care for them, offer them help within our capabilities, and pray for them. May they receive some comfort through our prayers and the selfless assistance we provide to them and no longer suffer from pain and sorrow.

On this Memorial Day of the St. Agnes, the virgin martyr, let us follow the example of this martyred virgin and bear witness to the true faith through our practical actions. St. Agnes, pray for us. Amen.

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