Saint Agnes, pray for us!

On 21st January we honoured and remembered St. Agnes, virgin and martyr. Born in the year 291 AD, St. Agnes was solely devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ from a remarkably young age. Such was her love for the Lord that she vowed to remain pure her entire life and considered Christ to be her one true Spouse. But as the daughter of a wealthy family and being fair in appearance, many men sought her hand in marriage. So one by one she turned them down, repeating her earnest commitment to purity and to our Lord. There are various accounts of exactly how St. Agnes was persecuted, but the theme remains the same. Some of St. Agnes’ disappointed suitors let their rejection turn into malice and they reported her as a Christian in the hopes of seeing her killed. In the end, she did indeed courageously and even joyously suffer and die for her Beloved.

St. Agnes is the patron saint of young girls, of chastity, of sexual assault survivors, and the Children of Mary. She stands as an incredible witness to what it means to be consecrated to and follow in the footsteps of Our Blessed Mother who also remained perfectly pure. In a society that is so plagued with sins of the flesh, St. Agnes is the perfect saint for us to turn to for guidance and intercession in order that we might heed Our Lady of Fatima’s warning. To remain pure in today’s society often entails persecution, misunderstanding, and even hatred. But if we take refuge in Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, then we too might be able to see God as our one true Beloved as St. Agnes did. In Him we find the fulfillment of our whole heart and every sorrow and wound of longing is washed away by His grace. So let us say with St. Agnes, “He chose me first and He shall have me!” St. Agnes, pray for us!