THE WORD AND THE SAINT
February 5, 2026 - Remembering St. Agatha
1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12; Mark 6: 7-13
David gives instruction to young Solomon as he is about to take over the Kingdom. Jesus gives instruction to his apostles as they are about to set out for a mission! The common element present is the instruction and there is a common thread that runs through the two sets of instructions too. For that matter the whole of the Word of God, and Jesus as the Word of God made flesh always has this ready message to give us: Seek first the Reign of God, and all other things will be given unto you (Mat 6:33).
Persons like St. Agatha, whom we celebrate today, and many other martyrs and the first christians...every one of them was filled with this same zeal. Health. wealth, pleasure, not even life mattered more than the Reign of God for them!
Solomon would later fall from the glory of his father, precisely because he would lose sight of the Reign that God wanted to establish - instead would be taken up with the kingdom that he wanted to build, making pacts with kings and compromising in the bargain. The reminder is for us to renew our commitment towards the Reign of God today - the Reign of justice, love, peace, brotherhood and sisterhood... in short Shalom, Wholeness, God's presence - can we make present these in our own little way today?