SAINT AGNES NINE--DAYS FOR LIFE
Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 7-10
7 You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,
do not stray lest you fall. 8 You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and
your reward will not be lost. 9 You that fear the
Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. 10 Consider the
generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been
disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been
forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored?
Serving the Lord is not without its trials; but no matter what
happens, the genuine believer will remain sincere, steadfast, and faithful.
Misfortune and humiliation are means of purification to prove one’s worth. Ben
Sira believed that patience and unwavering trust in God are ultimately rewarded
with the benefits of God’s mercy and of lasting joy. Ben Sira gives a stern
warning to those who compromise their faith in time of affliction; they fail in
courage and trust and therefore have no security. But those who fear the Lord
through obedience, reverence, love, and humility find his “mercy equal to his
majesty”.
9 Days for Life is a "digital pilgrimage" of
prayer and action focused on cherishing the gift of every person's life. A
multi-faceted novena highlighting a different intention each day provides reflections,
bonus information, and suggested actions. Join to receive the novena
through the 9 Days for Life app, daily emails, or daily texts. See below for
information on how else you can get involved! #9DaysforLife #OurPrayersMatter
Day One:
Intercession: May the tragic
practice of abortion end.
Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s,
Glory Be
Reflection: At every stage and in every
circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love. The presence of an
illness, disability, or other challenging situation never diminishes the value
of a human life. God does not call us to perfection of appearance or abilities,
but to perfection in love. Christ invites us to embrace our own lives
and the lives of others as true gifts.
Abortion tragically rejects the truth that every life is a good
and perfect gift, deserving protection. This violent practice ends the life of
a human being at its very beginning and horribly wounds all those involved. But
Christ came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10),
taking on human flesh for the sake of our redemption. May our culture
experience the power of God’s transforming love, that all eyes may be opened to
the incredible beauty of every human life.
Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)
·
Take
a break from television and movies today. Consider spending some of that time
praying with today’s reflection.
·
Pray
the short prayer “Every Life is Worth Living,” reflecting on the gift of human life.
(Also available to order or download.)
Heavenly
Father, thank you
for
the precious gift of life.
Help
us to cherish and protect
this
gift, even in the midst of
fear,
pain, and suffering.
Give
us love for all people,
especially
the most vulnerable, and help us bear witness to the truth that every life is
worth living.
Grant
us the humility to accept help
when
we are in need,
and
teach us to be merciful to all.
Through
our words and actions, may others encounter the outstretched hands of Your
mercy.
We
ask this through
Christ,
our Lord.
Amen.
·
Offer
some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for
today’s intention.
Kiwanis International[2] was founded on this day and an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organization also accepts women as members. Membership in Kiwanis and its family of clubs is more than 600,000 members. Each year, Kiwanis clubs raise more than US$100 million and report more than 18.5 million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children.
However,
upon further research it was found that Kiwanis supports planned parenthood and
the culture of death.
List
of charities and organizations that are linked to Planned Parenthood and/or the
culture of death.[3]
Today we honor the martyrdom of Saint Agnes, a
God-fearing child of 12, when she faced her death. Here is St. Ambrose’s
account of her demise.
This treatise
has a favorable beginning, since it is the birthday of the holy Virgin Agnes,
of whose name, modesty, and martyrdom St. Ambrose speaks in commendation, but
more especially of her age, seeing that she, being but twelve years old, was
superior to terrors, promises, tortures, and death itself, with a courage wholly
worthy of a man.
And
my task begins favorably, that since today is the birthday of a virgin, I have
to speak of virgins, and the treatise has its beginning from this discourse. It
is the birthday of a martyr, let us offer the victim. It is the birthday of St.
Agnes, let men admire, let children take courage, let the married be astounded,
let the unmarried take an example. But what can I say worthy of her whose very
name was not devoid of bright praise? In devotion beyond her age, in virtue
above nature, she seems to me to have borne not so much a human name, as a
token of martyrdom, whereby she showed what she was to be.
But
I have that which may assist me. The name of virgin is a title of modesty. I
will call upon the martyr, I will proclaim the virgin. That panegyric is long
enough which needs no elaboration but is within our grasp. Let then labor
cease, eloquence be silent. One word is praise enough. This word old men and
young and boys chant. No one is more praiseworthy than he who can be praised by
all. There are as many heralds as there are men, who when they speak proclaim
the martyr.
She
is said to have suffered martyrdom when twelve years old. The more hateful was
the cruelty, which spared not so tender an age, the greater in truth was the
power of faith which found evidence even in that age. Was there room for a
wound in that small body? And she who had no room for the blow of the steel had
that wherewith to conquer the steel. But maidens of that age are unable to bear
even the angry looks of parents and are wont to cry at the pricks of a needle
as though they were wounds. She was fearless
under the cruel hands of the executioners, she was unmoved by the heavy weight
of the creaking chains, offering her whole body to the sword of the raging
soldier, as yet ignorant of death, but ready for it. Or if she were unwillingly
hurried to the altars, she was ready to stretch forth her hands to Christ at
the sacrificial fires, and at the sacrilegious altars themselves, to make the
sign of the Lord the Conqueror, or again to place her neck and both her hands
in the iron bands, but no band could enclose such slender limbs.
A
new kind of martyrdom! Not yet of fit age for punishment but already ripe for
victory, difficult to contend with but easy to be crowned, she filled the
office of teaching valor while having the disadvantage of youth. She would not
as a bride so hasten to the couch, as being a virgin, she joyfully went to the
place of punishment with hurrying step, her head not adorned with plaited hair,
but with Christ. All wept, she alone was without a tear. All wondered that she
was so readily prodigal of her life, which she had not yet enjoyed, and now
gave up as though she had gone through it. Everyone was astounded that there
was now one to bear witness to the Godhead, who as yet could not, because of
her age, dispose of herself. And she brought it to pass that she should be
believed concerning God, whose evidence concerning man would not be accepted.
For that which is beyond nature is from the Author of nature.
What
threats the executioner used to make her fear him, what allurements to persuade
her, how many desired that she would come to them in marriage! But she
answered: It would be an injury to my spouse to look on any one as likely to
please me. He who chose me first for Himself shall receive me. Why are you
delaying, executioner? Let this body perish which can be loved by eyes which I
would not. She stood, she prayed, she bent down her neck. You could see the
executioner tremble, as though he himself had been condemned, and his
right-hand shake, his face grow pale, as he feared
the peril of another, while the maiden feared
not for her own. You have then in one victim a twofold martyrdom, of modesty
and of religion. She both remained a virgin and she obtained martyrdom.
Pray
that we may emulate Agnes who was martyred rather than forsake her betrothal to
Christ and exhibited the traits of a true marriage.
Daily
Devotions
[1]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm
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