Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Catholic Schools Week

First Saturday of the Month

Saint: Saint Agatha, Martyr (3rd century)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 7:55 Humility

Mass: 1 Kings 3:4-13; Resp Ps 119; Mk 6:30-34

With all my heart I seek you.

MARY, QUEEN OF MARTYRS,

PRAY FOR US.

We conclude the celebration of Catholic Schools Week on this First Saturday of the Month, also the commemoration of Saint Agatha. We invoke many saints today, including all seven female martyrs who are named after the consecration in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). God is certainly praised!

We have plenty to pray for these days, so why not take Jesus' words to the disciples to heart and go away by yourself to a deserted place and rest a while (Mk 6:31), and spend a little time in prayer, even if only for a minute or two.

THE RESULT OF PRAYER

The result of prayer is life.

Prayer irrigates the 

earth and

heart.

(Saint Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226, in D. Ladinsky, Love Poems from God, p. 54)

Agatha, the name of our saint, means "good." She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. She was also given as gift of God, the source of all goodness to her bridegroom, Christ, and to us. For she grants us a share in her goodness ...

Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and way of life. She won a good name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. She teaches them by her example to hasten with her to the true Good, God alone.

(From a homily on Saint Agatha by Saint Methodius of Sicily, bishop, in Office of Readings, February 5)

SAINT AGATHA,

SAINT FELICITY,

SAINT PERPETUA,

SAINT LUCY,

SAINT AGNES,

SAINT CECILIA,

SAINT ANASTASIA,

SAINT JOHN BOSCO,

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES,

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON,

SAINT ANGELA MERICI,

SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT,

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS,

SAINT JOHN CANTIUS,

SAINT JOHN HENRY NEWMAN,

SAINT MARY ELLEN MACKILLOP,

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER CABRINI,

SAINT KATHERINE DREXEL,

SAINT JEANNE DE LESTONNAE,

BLESSED MARY RIVIER,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: "8 inches of untouched snow on my deck table; almost like frosting on a cupcake." Winter in Carmel, IN. From faithful reader and long-time friend, LM. Ice and snow, bless the Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2022