I was thinking of the Saint this morning.
Agnes was only twelve years old when she was martyred! She had been confined to a brothel, tortured and tormented, for refusing marriage to the Prefect's son. One is reminded of Maria Goretti who was killed refusing the advances of a would be rapist.
How young these virgin martyrs, how courageous facing death, how compassionate for their persecutors. It is said Agnes healed the blindness of the man who tried to violate her, and we know Maria Goretti was concerned for the soul of her would be rapist, resisting his advances warning him of mortal sin, and after her death, appearing in a dream which effected his repentance.
These young girls faced with violations against their human dignity, their chastity - resisting unto death their attackers - remind me of the victims of systematic, weaponized rape in our day. Be it widespread or isolated - it is now understood as a crime against humanity, a war crime. Certainly ISIS is using it as such.
I pray St. Agnes to intercede for the victims of these crimes.
A new kind of war crime!
Rape, as a crime against humanity: Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity. - Source
It seems to me we must examine our so-called freedoms to abortion, divorce, promiscuity, pornography, sexual exploitation of minors, and other acts of sexual violence as a way to 'control' population, and or undermine human dignity. Not sure how to express it, but it seems to me these disorders cause serious harm to humanity as well.
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ReplyDeleteI truly believe sexual wounds are the deepest and hurt us to the very core of our beings. It's a gross violation on 3 levels - physical, mental, and spiritual. I've edited this comment 5 times and want to say so much more but it's too painful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ang - I agree with you - I actually wanted to say more as well - such a difficult subject!
Delete"I pray St. Agnes to intercede for the victims of these crimes."
DeleteFrom what I have read regarding the terror that reigns in the Middle East especially where ISIS is concerned, rape knows no bounds be it man, woman or child.
St. Agnes, pray for our brethren suffering at the hands of those who inflict this terrible scourge upon them.
Amen
Hi, Terry - I very much enjoy your blog but have not posted (or once I did but I don't think it worked. lol!). I love how you mention the compassion of Sts. Agnes and Maria Goretti for their enemies. I heard a speaker on Catholic radio recently who was an expert on St. Maria Goretti and he said that mercy was her main, strongest virtue - a lot of people say it's chastity but this wasn't it. What he said highlighted for me something that had always bothered me. One would not be required to die as she did for chastity, because being forced into a sexual act is not unchaste, it's forced and not done out of one's free choice. She suffered unspeakable pain in the days after her attack but never faltered in her concern for the man who attacked her, and offered it all for him. We see how the good Lord honored this and he eventually did convert and wasn't he even present at her canonization? What a truly miraculous testimony. I love this - you are right, Sts. Agnes and Maria Goretti are surely wonderful intercessors in these times. Particulary when we see the news of the day and just feel that ugly hatred and bitterness well up - I do anyway. But I never want to dwell in those feelings or act out on them, but now I have a good way to channel it. Saint Agnes, pray for us! Saint Maria Goretti, pray for us!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
(I don't know how to use my name - lol)