聖亞加大（貞女、殉道）
聖女在第三世紀生於意大利西西里，年輕、美麗、富有，過著奉獻給天主的生活。
大約在羅馬德西烏斯皇教難時（250-253年），在西西里島加大尼亞殉道；其敬禮於第六世紀就已列入羅馬禮中。
當皇帝頒布反天主教的法令時，長官昆克蒂安努斯試圖利用她的聖德來獲利。他計劃勒索與她發生性關係，以換取不起訴她。聖女被關進妓院，但她拒絕接客。於是昆克蒂安努斯監禁、毆打和折磨她。她的乳房被壓碎並給切掉。她對法官說：「兇殘的人，你竟然忘記了你的母親，忘記那哺育了你的乳房，你竟敢這樣殘害我？」。
她被放在火炭上燒烤而殉道。當她瀕臨死亡時，亞加大感謝天主結束了她的痛苦，然後便去世了（251年2月5）。
集禱經
上主，殉道者聖亞加大，曾善度貞潔生活，並為信仰犧牲性命，獲得了你的歡心。求你仁慈俯聽她為我們所作的轉求。因你的聖子、我們的主耶穌基督，他和你及聖神，是唯一天主，永生永王。 亞孟。
Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
St. Agatha was martyred in Sicily in the third century, probably during the time of Decius. Her name appears in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).
Agatha was born in the first part of the third century into a wealthy and noble Christian family in Catania, Sicily. She was a beautiful young virgin, and at the age of 15 Agatha expressed her desire to live a life consecrated to God.
In the years 250 to 253 AD, Roman Emperor Trajan Decius ordered the persecution of all Christians. The prefect of Catania at that time was a man named Quintianus. Legend says that he, upon seeing Agatha, fell madly in love with her. It is more likely, though, that his true desire was to gain control of her family’s property and lands.
When Agatha turned away his advances he sent her to a brothel as punishment. She refused to accept customers and was sent back to Quintianus. Agatha was then imprisoned, suffered repeated tortures, and then brutally had her breasts cut off.
It is said that she responded to this horrible mutilation by saying to Quintianus, “Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?”
Quintianus ordered that she be forced onto a bed of hot coals. While she lay burning on the coals her red veil stayed miraculously intact. Agatha died a few hours later on February 5, in the year 251.
Collect
May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha
implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray,
for she found favor with you
by the courage of her martyrdom
and the merit of her chastity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
資料來源 References
圖：https://orderisda.org/culture/la-nostra-voce/the-miracles-of-st-agatha-the-patron-saint-of-sicily/
中文內容：《平日彌撒經文》，香港教區禮儀委員會
https://relic.catholic.org.hk/001-agatha-of-sicily/
English text: Daily Roman Missal, 2011
https://orderisda.org/culture/la-nostra-voce/the-miracles-of-st-agatha-the-patron-saint-of-sicily/