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The Easter Cycle
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, who art wonderful in the ordering of all Thy works, let them whom
Thou hast redeemed understand that to have made the world in the beginning was a no greater
work than to have immolated at the end of time Christ our pasch. Who with Thee liveth and
reigneth forever. Amen.
Feasts of the Saints during Lent
February 5, St. Agatha
St. Agatha, who was born of a noble Sicilian family, is noted for her valiant fight to preserve her
chastity, and for her steadfastness in the faith. She remained true to Christ, consistently refusing
to offer sacrifice to the gods, and obtained the crown of martyrdom during the persecution of
Decius, about the year 250. Today we are witnesses of her struggle and of her victory.
“But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen that He may confound the wise, and the
weak things of the world hath God chosen, that He may confound the strong; and the base things
of the world, and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen, and things that are not,
that He might bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in His sight” (Epistle).
God “hast granted even to the weaker sex the victory of martyrdom” (Collect).
What a singular victory this delicate and defenseless young virgin, Agatha, won over the
mighty Roman governor, Quintianus! “Why do you who are born of a noble family,” he asked
of her, “seek to lead the ignoble and servile life of a Christian?”
“I am the servant of Christ,” Agatha replied, “and for this reason I clothe myself in the
garments of a servant. There can be no greater honor than to serve as the servant of Christ.”
Although Quintianus threatened her with the most severe tortures unless she would agree to
deny Christ, she remained steadfast. “If you threaten to cast me to the wild beasts, know that
they will become gentle in the name of Christ. If you will make use of fire, then the angels will
cause the healing dew of heaven to descend upon me.” Forthwith Agatha was beaten with rods,
and when she was led away to prison, she went as one proceeding to a festive banquet.
Shortly thereafter she was again summoned before the judge. “If you fail to see that the
executioners lacerate my body, my soul cannot enter into the paradise of the Lord with the
martyrs,” she told him. Agatha was tortured on the rack, branded with glowing irons, and finally
her breasts were cut off. During the ensuing night the apostle Peter appeared to her and healed
her. Then once more she bore witness to Christ, and after further tortures she was brought back
to her prison more dead than alive. There she offered the following prayer for death: “O Lord
Jesus Christ, good Master, I thank Thee that Thou hast given me victory over the tortures of the
executioners; now let me attain to Thy imperishable glory.” O miracle of Christian fortitude!
“There are eunuchs who were born so from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs
who were made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the
kingdom of heaven. He that can take it, let him take it” (Gospel). Agatha the virgin, the eunuch
for the sake of the kingdom of heaven! Quintianus was inflamed with love for her, but Agatha
would hear nothing of a union with him. She sought a greater good, holy virginity, for the sake
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