St. Agatha
The virgin martyr Agatha was born of noble parents in Sicily, and both Palermo and Catania claim to be her birth place. She gained the crown of martyrdom at Catania during the persecution of the emperor Decius. She was famed equally for her beauty and her chasity, and Quintianus, Prætor of Sicily, fell in love with her. He tried ever imaginable way to dissuade her from her way of purity, but when he could not move her from it, he had her arrested in the charge of Christian superstition, and handed her over to a woman called Aphrodisa to be corrupted.
When the woman Aphrodisia found that she could neither shake her from her constancy to the Christian faith, nor move her from her determination to preserve her virginity, she told Quintianius that she was wasting her time on Agatha. Quintianius ordered the virgin to be brought to him, and said , Art thou not ashamed, with thy noble birth, to be living the mean and slavish life of the Christians? Agatha answered him, the lowliness and slavery of Christians is far more glorious than the pride and opulence of kings.
This answer so enraged the prætor that he told her to choose between sacrificing to the gods and being put to torture. She remained constant in faith, and was first beaten with rods and sent back to prison; then on the following day was led forth, and as she remained steadfast, she was stretched on the rack and tortured with hot metal. Then her breasts was cut off.
As she received the wounds, the Virgin cried out to Quintianius, Thou cruel tyrant, art thou not ashamed to cut off from a woman the part that thou thyself hast sucked on thy mother? Then she was chained and cast into prison , and during the following night she was healed by an aged man who said he was Apostle of Christ, Again she was summoned to appear before the prætor, and still constant in her confession of Christ, she was rolled on potsherds and burning coals.
As she received the wounds, the Virgin cried out to Quintianius, Thou cruel tyrant, art thou not ashamed to cut off from a woman the part that thou thyself hast sucked on thy mother? Then she was chained and cast into prison , and during the following night she was healed by an aged man who said he was Apostle of Christ, Again she was summoned to appear before the prætor, and still constant in her confession of Christ, she was rolled on potsherds and burning coals.
At that time the whole city was shaken by a great earthquake, and two friends of the prætor, Silvinus and Falconsius, were crushed by falling walls.
The citizens were in such a frenzy that Quintianius was afraid of a riot, and ordered Agatha to be brought back to prison secretly. She was almost dead, but made her prayer to God: Lord who hast watched over me for mine infancy
, who hast taken from me all earthly desire. who has enabled me to overcome the tortures of the executioner, receive my spirit.
With this prayer on her lips she passed to heaven on the fifth day of February. Her body was buried by the Christians.
The citizens were in such a frenzy that Quintianius was afraid of a riot, and ordered Agatha to be brought back to prison secretly. She was almost dead, but made her prayer to God: Lord who hast watched over me for mine infancy
, who hast taken from me all earthly desire. who has enabled me to overcome the tortures of the executioner, receive my spirit.
With this prayer on her lips she passed to heaven on the fifth day of February. Her body was buried by the Christians.
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