By Fr. Antony Christy, SDB –
St. Agnes was just 13 when she gave her life up, as a result of her resolve to love God and be faithful to Christ alone! She was born in 291 in a noted family of nobility, which had accepted their faith in Christ. Owing to this nobility and her beauty, there were a number of suitors but she had already pledged her life and her virginity to Christ. Those were years of the persecution initiated by Emperor Diocletian against Christians and she was reported to the Governor as practicing Christianity.
She was tried by Prefect Sempronius who sentenced her to be dragged naked to a brothel. Legend has it that she prayed and her hair grew long to cover her body. Once at the brothel, every man who approached her with an intent that was impure, was struck blind. It is also said that the son of Sempronius suddenly died and Agnes’ prayers for him revived him to life.
Following this she was released and Sempronius renounced his involvement in her case. But soon there was another prefect who ordered her to be burnt at stake, on 21st January 304. She was tied to the stake, but the wood would not burn and when the fire arose eventually, it parted ways leaving her body untouched. Finally, the officer charged with her execution drew his sword and slit her neck.
She remains a great patroness for those who wish to live virgins for the sake of the Reign of God, a protectress of girls who are threatened against their purity and a refuge for rape victims. Her love for Christ and her undivided surrender to God in purity, is a great challenge to the young of today! ‘Christ alone is my spouse’, she would declare often. Today, many a Religious Congregations for women are dying for lack of vocations. The spirit of offering one’s entire life to God and God’s Reign is falling apart – leaving a call to the modern young hearts: Can you walk in the steps of St. Agnes ?
Dear Young Friends,
– do you think it is possible for you to cultivate within yourselves a singular love for the person of Christ and relate to him with a warm genuine love?
– do you feel Religious Life is outdated today? If not, do you dare to offer yourself to live a life of Consecration to God, God’s Reign and God’s people?
YOU CAT
How We Are to Have Life in Christ is Part III of the YouCat and the second chapter (Questions 321-342) is entitled Human Community and brings out the importance of living in fellowship as human person and more specially as Christians, called to live in the Image of God. The Questions 321-336 provide us the basic understanding of a human society. No one is an island and a Christian is called by his or her very nature to live in communion with others. The Individual person can never be sacrificed for anything else, because the Lord willed to create each person in God’s own image. At the same time, a radical individualism is inhuman and unchristian.
The Christian view of life upholds the principle of Subsidiarity which states that what individuals can accomplish by their own initiative and efforts should not be taken from them by a higher authority. There needs to be a clearly constituted hierarchy of values that should be put into practice in a community through justice and love. Love is the greatest social commandment and it demands respect and justice! A society should have its legitimate authority in place, which works for the common good and works towards it through just methods.
Ensuring the fundamental rights of every human person in a society with freedom, peace and security, is what amounts to promoting Common Good. Inalienable dignity of every person and their rights in all spheres of life have to get the utmost attention in building any society. If not, it can give rise to injustice, inequality and discrimination. Laws in a human society are made to ensure the protection of the individual, promotion of common good and solidarity among persons within a community.
– How committed are you towards the Common good? Do you feel your personal interest and the Common good can come in contrast to each other? If so, what is the way out?
Know Your Church
#3. Do you know about Ecumenical Councils?
Among the seven Councils of Antiquity, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus have a very important place for the Catholic Tradition. The Nicene-Contantinopolitan Creed, whose formulation began with the First Council of Nicaea, was completed in the First Council of Constantinople convoked in 381 during the Papacy of Pope Damasus (366-384), by the Roman Emperor Theodosius (379-395) and held obviously in Constantinople.
The creed thus formulated is still in use in the Catholic Church and is called the Nicene Creed. This council was held from May to July, 381 and it defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit, deriving from the Biblical experience and condemned Arianism and Macedonianism which denied this dimension of the Trinity. Gregory of Nazianzus was one of the prominent members of this council.
The Council of Ephesus was convoked in 431 by Emperor Theodosius II (408-450) during the papacy of Pope Celestine I (422-432). Held in seven sessions in the months of June and July of 431, in Ephesus, this Council defined the Divine Motherhood of Mary – Theotokos (Mother of God) necessitated by two heresies which misled the faithful, namely Nestorianism and Pelagianism.
Nestorianism denied the unity of the divine and human in Christ; Pelagianism held that a human being can earn one’s own salvation using his or her natural powers and means. Both of these heresies were condemned. Condemnation of Nestorius, the proponent of Nestorianism, led to one of the first major divisions within the Church – the Nestorian Schism (which lasted from 431 to 544). Cyril of Alexandria was the most prominent theologian at this Council.
DO CAT
Living in Freedom From Violence – Peace (Questions 270-304) – Peace is something that invariably everyone longs for. it is not enough that we long for it, but we should make it possible through our convictions and contribution. The initial part (Questions 270-283) establishes that Peace is the tranquility of order and, more deeply, happiness in God’s good order.
Peace is an attribute of God and for us Christians, Christ is our peace who reconciled everything in God. We cannot think of a peace without God – it fails to satisfy humanity and proves short lived. Forgiving and reconciling with each other is the way to true peace. The unconditional love of God, which bears every iniquity of humanity and is manifested in the cross of Christ, is the foundation of peace for Christians. Where there are Christians, there should be peace.
The Church prays for peace, works for peace and safeguards peace in the world! Joining hands with the international organisations and the legitimate political systems of over 180 nations, the Holy See commits itself to the process of safeguarding and ensuring peace in the world. The Holy See is merely an observer in the United Nations Organisation, though it is an Organisation that stands for peace among nations. This is because, full membership would involve it directly in political, military and economic matters, whereas the Holy See considers itself committed to unconditional political neutrality. The Church stands by the UN Charter for peace and insists on its responsibility to maintain peace in the world.
– What do you think about Peace in the world today? Is there anything that you can do to promote peace in your own surrounding?
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.