THE MEMORIAL OF ST AGNES, VIRGIN AND MARTYR.
THE MEMORIAL OF ST AGNES, VIRGIN AND MARTYR.
HEALING ON THE SABBATH.
THE GOODNEWS:
"Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up here before us."
Then he said to the Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
.
Jesus said to the man,
"Stretch out your hand."
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death."
(MARK 3: 1 - 6).
Wednesday 21st January 2026 in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of St Agnes (+ 304). Virgin and Martyr.
Agnes who made a private vow of chastity to Jesus Christ resisted the attempt to force her into marriage.
She was martyred at the age of 13.
St Agnes is the patron saint of young girls and purity.
When we suffer with Christ, we can then shout with joy when His glory is revealed.
No birth pang, no joy of nursing. No trials, no triumph. No cross, no crown.
St Agnes whose feast is today suffered deprivation and martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
Today she is enjoying her crown and glory in heaven. Her life is still remembered and celebrated throughout the world.
Many churches and schools are named after her.
We have today in Mark 3: 1 - 6, another Sabbath controversy. Here we see Jesus on the offensive: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” (Mark 3: 4).
We know the answer to the question from the previous Sabbath controversy. The adversaries of Jesus did not answer the question.
They knew the answer but they had ill-will and hardness of heart and decided to keep silent.
The man with the withered hand represents all of us.
What the Pharisees miss is that the great day of healing is the Sabbath, Lord's Day / Sunday and the Healer is still the same: Jesus Christ healing His ailing sisters and brothers through His word and through the Eucharist.
Jesus speaks to us every day through the Scriptures proclaimed in the Sacred Liturgy.
The same Scripture, the same Liturgy all over the world. This is the beauty of Catholicism.
One Faith. One Pope. One Liturgy. Worldwide.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“In the sixteenth century, Saint Ignatius of Loyola had such a strong devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus that he adopted it as his seal as general of his newly founded order of the Jesuits; that monogram remains the Jesuits' official seal today. There is great power in the spoken name of Jesus."
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
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