Misinterpretations! The Need for the Lens of Christ!

While we were in Bethlehem, we had the opportunity to celebrate the Church's memorial of St. Agatha on February 5th.  Her death is venerated in early Church history as a martyr for desiring to remain a virgin for Christ.  A Roman prelate desired to marry Agatha after she had expressed her desire to remain a virgin for the Lord.  When she would not marry the Roman Prelate, he had her placed in a brothel.  But she was known to be protected by the Lord and no man ever touched her in the brothel.  When the Roman Prelate heard this, he was furious and had her tortured.  The torture included having her breast cut off.  There was then a failed attempt at burning her at the stake.  She was placed in prison where it is believed she was visited by St. Peter who healed her wounds.  She eventually died in prison as a virgin for the Lord.  She is found and celebrated to this day in the Canon I of the Mass!

Outside of this amazing story of this great saint, I can't help but chuckle of how misinterprations has led this great saint to be the patroness of bakers.  Like most Saints, when they are drawn in great churches and paintings, the saint is usually pictured by the way they were martyred. For  example, you will see St. Paul usually with a sword because he was killed by the sword.  St. Agatha is usually pictured with her breasts on a platter.  Well of course, when you look at the picture, you can see how the bakers believed that she was their patroness and would seek her blessing on her feast day.

Though I received a chuckle at this misinterpretation in the Church, I couldn't help to think how things can easily be skewed, misinterpreted without the lense of Christ.  Even great saints of our times are constantly being re-interpreted by the times.  For example, athesist claim that Mother Teresa did nothing to improve the condition in India, for she only kept the status quo by serving the poor and the dying.  And after she has passed away, the poor and dying are still there today!  Therefore, Mother Teresa was a failure in their eyes. Yet, their failure is to look at for worldly successes and false understandings behind the motives of the saints.  The great saints in the Church did not become saints by their own desire, but were drawn/called by the love of the Lord. They acted, like Mother Teresa, because they were responding and compelled by the love of Christ!

Then I started to think about how people would look at my life!  Specifically as a man going into a clerical state of the Church.  Many people will look at me (like this summer) as a white priviledged male, who is serving an all male priesthood.  How shovenistic, how masogenist!  Others, as priest have heard it screamed at them, will yell at priests and call them child molester (http://cardinaldolan.org/index.php/an-airport-encounter - this is a great story about Cardinal Dolan addressing this accusation in the airport).  It is clear that these misinterpretations are going to sting me as I move into priesthood.  But again, they seem to interpret my life in one light, when I see my vocation as just a response to my encounter with the Lord. 

Then my reflection (which began as a chuckle of misinterpration of St. Agatha, went to a whole another level.  I asked myself, how many times have I misinterpreted my own life.  In my pains, sorrows, anguish, loneliness, sufferings, etc.  Don't I look to the world to interpret what would remove those things (money, power, physical affections)?  Don't I want all pain and suffering to disappear.  Don't I turn to media, music, pleasures to distract the pains of the heart?  It's only when I look at my life through the lens of the Christ, which involves a great cross, can I see the purpose and beauty of that suffering!  It's only when I seek to be with the Lord, can everything I go through actually make sense!  There will come a time where pain, sorrows, anguish, loneliness, suffering, etc. can't be removed!  Yet, we can find profound meaning my being united with Christ!

Just like the great Saint like St. Agatha, our very lives can be misinterpreted by others and ourselves!  We just need to make sure that we constantly spend time with the Lord, so that we can find comfort and insight through the lens Christ! 

St. Agatha, patroness of bakers, pray for us!