Our liturgy today sets three figures of courage before us: young David of Bethlehem, healer Jesus of Nazareth, and twelve-year-old maiden Agnes of Rome. What can they say to us living in a world so far removed from theirs?
Consider the shepherd boy, David, running with a sling and five smooth stones to a win-or-die encounter with the Philistine warrior Goliath—a giant armed with sword, spear, and scimitar. A heart trusting in the Lord to deliver him propels David forward.
Consider Jesus of Nazareth going into the synagogue on the sabbath to face a man with a withered hand and a group of hostile Pharisees, watching for him to break the law by healing. Jesus asks: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than evil, to save life rather than destroy it?” Their silence is followed by his healing touch. A healing heart doesn’t yield to hardened ones.
Consider Agnes, a beautiful maiden of Rome, sought as a spouse by many. Her response that her heart has already been given to her Lord and Savior Jesus brings down the anger of the Empire. Only idols and emperors qualify as gods. Imprisonment, torture, and finally a martyr’s death. A steadfast heart is Agnes’ key to God’s kingdom.
Where do we hear a call to courage today? Any giants need confronting? Any empires deserving defiance? Any presumptuous power groups looming over the weak, the poor, the helpless, the downcast? Take courage! Call on the Lord! Then, speak! Act!
