Coffee & Saints

Born: 291 – Rome, Italy
Died: 304 – Rome, Italy

What I appreciate about St. Agnes:
Her name means “lamb” in Latin; a very fitting name for a young girl who was a spotless victim like Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God! She never lost her purity while on this earth and willingly gave her life for the Lord – becoming one of the earliest martyrs.

Coffee Order:
Saint Agnes was thirteen years old when she died – therefore I would not expect her to order coffee! Instead, I picture her face shining brightly as she asks for a strawberry smoothie.

Our Saint for today was martyred for her faith. A martyr is someone who chooses death over renouncing Christ. Today’s Saint was around thirteen years old when she was put to death for refusing to turn away from God! It takes an incredibly strong person to die for their faith; however, this was a child! A child was so sure that Jesus Christ is Lord that she did not let fear stand in the way of her beliefs and chose to see Him in heaven rather than give in to the demands of the adults around her. Incredible!

When I picture going out for coffee with Saint Agnes, the picture in my head is of a quaint coffee shop where they decorate with care: lace curtains, real flowers in vases, freshly baked muffins, scones, and cupcakes from their own kitchen. The type of coffee shop that feels cozy, simple, and as though the visitor has stepped into someone’s home as their guest. Because she died so young, I do not picture a coffee drinker; instead, I think she would order something sweet – a strawberry smoothie. She would giggle in delight when the barista offered to add whipped cream.

Saint Agnes was from a noble family in Rome who were very wealthy. She was also known as being very beautiful. As she grew, many men came forward hoping to win her heart and have her accept their hand in marriage. For our Saint; however, she was already deeply in love with one man: Jesus Christ. Her heart was so set on the Lord that she vowed to keep her purity for her entire life. I can picture the joy on her face as she tells me about her deep love for the Lord as we sit together in the cozy coffee shop. I wonder what she experienced in prayer to fall in love with Christ at such a young age.

For the men who lusted for Saint Agnes, they were extremely upset by being turned down. She was forced to face the local officials who told her to sacrifice to the Roman gods and give up her Christian beliefs. This child stood her ground and told them no. Even when the soldiers brought forth torturing devices and showed her what could happen if she did not renounce her Christian faith and vow of chastity, she still stood firm. I would hope that I would have said the same thing back when I was thirteen! This girl knew with such certainty that God was in control and that there was no room for their paganism in her life. I think she would smile tenderly at me as she describes how God had her heart and she knew those men could never hurt her soul.

These men, suffering in a fallen world like the rest of us, sent Saint Agnes to a brothel. They wanted to make her pay for turning them down. When she had told them that she was saving her purity for the rest of her earthly life; they wanted to destroy her faith and kick where it would hurt the most and with deep humiliation.  I can picture the tears in her eyes as she tells me of being forced into such a horrible place filled with lost souls. I would have thought that she would have been scared; however, our Saint was so strong in her faith that she felt no fear. Her entire heart and soul was singing to the Lord and she knew that God would protect her.

And He did! It is said that no man was able to come near her. When one man tried to approach her, he was reportedly struck blind and fell to the ground before he could touch the young girl. Our Saint, seeing that man as a child of God himself, prayed for him. That man was healed! A young girl, almost harmed, prayed for her attacker. This is something that is so inherently beautiful! She reminds us all that we are not called to condemn someone when they wrong us; we are called to pray for them – letting the Lord take control.

The officials, upon finding out that she had in fact not been harmed or renounced her faith, ordered for her to be beheaded. She was removed from the brothel and taken to the executioner who was trembling in fear. Saint Agnes, still refusing to let fear win; offered her neck willingly. She knew something that those around her did not: she was about to meet her bridegroom. She had been waiting to be united with the Lord for so long, and now she would see His face. The Lord had shown her true love Himself by blinding the man in the brothel and then again when He heard her prayer and healed that same man. This child was ready for eternity!

I can picture the beautiful smile on her face as she tells me about the moment she finally saw Christ face-to-face. A lot of us have pictured what heaven is really like, and this young girl was no exception. Because of her deep faith and trust in the Lord, she was able to be welcomed into the kingdom of God by Jesus Himself. I can picture Jesus welcoming her with joy and triumph as he picked her up and swung her around, saying tenderly, “Welcome home.”

The name Agnes means “lamb” in latin. What a beautiful name for this young woman who emulated Christ so well that she offered herself to die for the glory of God! Jesus is called the lamb of God; our spotless victim who died on the cross for the salvation of the whole world. Saint Agnes was a young girl who had never been touched by a man and was pure of heart and soul. How incredible that she was called to offer her body as a sacrifice so that those of us here on earth could see God’s glory. Her death was not in vain; it is still being talked about today as we celebrate her around the world! May each one of us be truly excited for the time when Jesus approaches us, wraps us in His arms, and tenderly whispers, “Welcome home”.

Prayer:
Saint Agnes, you fell in love with the Lord at a young age; and were so deeply in love with Him that you promised to keep yourself pure while on this earth. Even when you were faced with threats of your own life – you never wavered in your faith at the tender age of thirteen. Your strength in the Lord shown brightly when you prayed for the man who tried to harm you and you asked God to heal him. Even at a young age you knew more than most adults do: that God truly exists and longs to welcome us home to eternity when it is our time! Saint Agnes, pray for young girls, especially those who feel pressured by a material world who does not care for their souls. Pray for mothers as they strive to lead their daughters closer to Christ. We ask for you to pray for our fallen world filled with earthly pleasures that bring no true satisfaction. May we, like you, fight for heaven until our last breath. Saint Agnes, pray for us! Amen.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this Saint! The artwork above was created using AI and my own imagination – this is how I picture what it would be like to sit with Saint Agnes in a coffeeshop today. I would love for you to share your own thoughts in the comments. How do you picture Saint Agnes? What do you think she would have ordered at a coffee shop? Let me know below!

Cheers! ☕
Maggie