February 5 2018 - St. Agatha, virgin-martyr - Reverencing the Temple (of the Body)

The Ark of the Covenant being brought into the newly constructed Temple was a momentous occasion for Israel. It marked that God was now being rightly worshipped by Israel, and that would bring tremendous favor upon his chosen people. And so the ark was processed in quite the majestic and solemn way. Countless sheep and oxen were sacrificed, trumpets were blown, the king marched along with the priests and his people. And it seemed God was quite pleased, for the cloud of God’s glory filled the Temple.

If you’ve ever attended the Easter Vigil, you might experience some similarities. We of course do not sacrifice sheep and oxen, for Christ has provided the worthy sacrifice of himself. But, there are processions, and clouds of incense, and trumpets on Easter, to celebrate the presence of the Risen Christ with His Church.

At the Great Vigil we also celebrate new Christians becoming Temples of God through the Sacrament of Baptism. And, all of us who are baptized are taught to reverence our bodies as Temples of the Spirit.

The dedication of Solomon's Temple was one of the great events in history. However, Jesus is greater than Solomon. And we who are baptized are greater than Solomon’s Temple.

So we need to have great reverence for our bodies, adorning them with virtue, using them to glorify God in all things. St. Paul urges the Romans, “brothers and sisters…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…Do not conform yourself to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

When we understand the reverence we are to have for ourselves, we begin to understand why people like St. Agnes, St. Anastasia, Susanna, St. Agatha, who we honor today, St. Lucy, St. Maria Goretti, they died to preserve their purity, their chastity, their consecrated virginity.

For resisting the advances of a degenerate civil official, for her faith, St. Agatha was arrested. To punish her for wishing to protect her chastity, she was sent to a brothel, a house of prostitution. When she persevered in protecting her chastity, her breasts were cut off, and she was sent to her martyrdom.

We do well to invoke St. Agatha and the virgin martyrs to help our culture reclaim the value of chastity and modesty and purity. May we all resist, especially our young people, conforming ourselves to this increasingly perverse and degenerate age, and come to reverence our bodies once again as Temples of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of February, that those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption. We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Agatha and the holy virgin-martyrs, for an increase of reverence for the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord