"What I longed for, I now see; what I hoped for, I now possess; in heaven I am espoused to him whom on earth I loved with all my heart."
These words, placed on Agnes's lips in one of the ancient antiphons from today's Roman liturgy, express the 1700 year old memory of this singular young girl, consecrated virgin, bride of Christ, martyr. We too have this longing and this hope, and we are called each day to respond to His Love with the love of all our hearts.
And like Saint Agnes, we must long to see Him and offer ourselves in love for Him, whatever the circumstances we face, in all the ways in which we are called to witness to the sacredness of the life and vocation of every human person... even when we are threatened with violence by the powers of this world.
Christ — for whom we long, hope for, and love — creates, redeems, and calls to Himself every human person. His Love for human persons is greater than all the violence of this world. His affirmation of the gift of human life is greater than all the worldly powers bent on destroying life.
Let us long to see Him, to see ourselves and one another through His eyes, and to love through His Heart.
