St. Agnes Feast day ~ January 21 Reflection
Someone once wrote: “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Today, January 21st, we gather to remember and to celebrate St. Agnes of Rome, under whose patronage the Sisters of St. Agnes were founded. She declared herself Christian in a pagan society and committed herself to remain virgin in a patriarchal culture. She gave testimony that she had chosen Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior with the public sacrifice of her life.
Much of her life and death are surrounded by legend, but early writings tell us that Agnes was born into a wealthy and powerful Roman Christian family and, according to tradition, she suffered martyrdom at the age of 12 or 13 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian on January 21, in the year 305.
The story is told how the Prefect Sempronius wished Agnes to marry his son, for women, at that time, were property of the State and had children to promote the State’s agenda. But Agnes refused a forced marriage and remained adamant that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ. Her refusal was considered an act of treason and punishable by death. At that time, Roman law did not permit the execution of virgins, so Sempronius had a naked Agnes dragged through the streets to a brothel. In one version of the story, it is said, that as she processed through the streets, Agnes prayed, and her hair grew and covered her entire body.
Some also asserted that all of the men who attempted to rape her were immediately struck blind. She was sentenced to death with many other Christian companions who refused to worship the Roman gods and to pay homage to the emperor as divine.
Agnes grew up in a patriarchal culture, whose religion included many gods – a religion of laws, customs, and prescriptions that no longer had the power to define her. Agnes chose a new way of life – a life of virginity. She was resolute in choosing her own power in Christ to define her new identity.
So what is the Good News for us today?
Much of her life and death are surrounded by legend, but early writings tell us that Agnes was born into a wealthy and powerful Roman Christian family and, according to tradition, she suffered martyrdom at the age of 12 or 13 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian on January 21, in the year 305.
The story is told how the Prefect Sempronius wished Agnes to marry his son, for women, at that time, were property of the State and had children to promote the State’s agenda. But Agnes refused a forced marriage and remained adamant that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ. Her refusal was considered an act of treason and punishable by death. At that time, Roman law did not permit the execution of virgins, so Sempronius had a naked Agnes dragged through the streets to a brothel. In one version of the story, it is said, that as she processed through the streets, Agnes prayed, and her hair grew and covered her entire body.
Some also asserted that all of the men who attempted to rape her were immediately struck blind. She was sentenced to death with many other Christian companions who refused to worship the Roman gods and to pay homage to the emperor as divine.
Agnes grew up in a patriarchal culture, whose religion included many gods – a religion of laws, customs, and prescriptions that no longer had the power to define her. Agnes chose a new way of life – a life of virginity. She was resolute in choosing her own power in Christ to define her new identity.
So what is the Good News for us today?
- Our God continues to invite everyone to live with hope, trust, courage, and faith. We are all called to be witnesses of the Risen Christ.
- As women and men religious, associates, friends, and partners in ministry, it is on such a feast as today, that we are invited to ponder our own witness to our faith and the values of our Christian lives.
- That like Agnes, when we find ourselves standing “naked” in our vulnerabilities, limitations, powerlessness, doubts, dilemmas, and decisions that affect the social, economic, cultural, religious, and political challenges of life, may we more and more learn to call upon the Spirit for guidance, grit, and grace – for it is in God that we live and move and have our being.
Tomb of St. Agnes in Rome
