Our Saint of the Day is one of the patron of nurses. Find out who it is!
February 5, 2024
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As in the case of Agnes, another virgin-martyr of the early Church, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251.
Legend has it that Agatha, like Agnes, was arrested as a Christian, tortured, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She was preserved from being violated, and was later put to death.
She is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire.
Reflection
The scientific modern mind winces at the thought of a volcano’s might being contained by God because of the prayers of a Sicilian girl. Still less welcome, probably, is the notion of that saint being the patroness of such varied professions as those of foundry workers, nurses, miners and Alpine guides. Yet, in our historical precision, have we lost an essential human quality of wonder and poetry, and even our belief that we come to God by helping each other, both in action and prayer?
Saint Agatha is the patron saint of:
Healing from Diseases of the Breast
Nurses
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From Wild Man to Wise Man is a revised and updated edition of Richard Rohr's classic best-seller!
For this new work, the author has added three new chapters that discuss Saint John the Baptist, Saint Paul, and overcoming grief.
Although our culture separates body and spirit, the very incarnation of Jesus speaks to a higher reality. Just as Jesus embodied both divinity and humanity, so, too, do our bodies hold our humanity and the Holy Spirit. To live out the maximum spiritual health we were made for, we are called to the work of integration; and engaging our bodies in the act of prayer is the fast track to get there.
If our prayer lives are feeling dull, we must remember there are actionable steps we can take to enliven them. Integrating our bodies into our spiritualities through various means of prayer can help us embody a gospel that looks a little more vibrant, integrated, and whole—a gospel that looks a little more like the one Jesus gave us.
Receive daily inspiration during this season of repentance, forgiveness, and hope.
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It’s easy to criticize Peter. How could he turn his back on Jesus after all he had seen? But then God pricks my conscience and says, “Didn’t you desert me when you ignored the man holding the ‘Will work for food’ sign? Or when your coworker had a bad day, and you were too busy to help? Haven’t you ignored me when you looked away from the homeless man on the sidewalk?” Yes, Lord, I have.
Pray
Dear Jesus, Forgive me. Help me see you in the people around me. Like Peter, I love you and deny you at the same time. Keep my faith steadfast and my awareness of others’ needs as perceptive as yours. Amen.
Act
Pay close attention to the people you see today. Consider whether there is a concrete way you can help them.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Colleen Arnold, MD. Learn more here!
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