LIVE IT TODAY: Thursday, February 5, 2026 | Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
I have given you my authority; do not be afraid of what you lack, for I will work through your obedience.
LIVE IT TODAY: Thursday, February 5, 2026 | Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
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GOD’S DECLARATION TO YOU TODAY
I have given you my authority; do not be afraid of what you lack, for I will work through your obedience.
INVOCATION
Come, Holy Spirit! Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, open my heart to hear and receive all that You desire for me. Draw me ever more deeply into the Love and Life of the Blessed Trinity!
GOSPEL | Mark 6:7–13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
God sends us not because we are prepared, but because He is present.
Jesus does something startling: He sends the Twelve out before they fully understand what He is doing. Authority comes first; clarity comes later. The Greek word exousia means delegated power—power that does not originate in the self but is entrusted. Their confidence is not meant to rest in experience, personality, or planning, but in the One who sends them.
The instructions are intentionally unsettling. No food, no money, no backup tunic. In the ancient world, these were basic safeguards against humiliation and hunger. Jesus strips away self-insurance so the disciples learn dependence. The walking stick is permitted because it symbolizes trust for the road, not control over the destination.
The command to stay in one house is equally important. Mission is not restless. Faithfulness grows through presence. Jesus forbids them from chasing better conditions or greater honor. And when a place refuses the Gospel, they are told to leave without resentment. Shaking the dust is not bitterness; it is freedom. Obedience does not require universal acceptance.
This Gospel speaks directly to family life. Parents often feel they must have everything figured out before living or sharing the faith. But children are formed not by perfect preparation, but by watching trust in action. Homes become domestic churches when faith is lived with courage rather than control.
Today’s memorial gives flesh to this authority. Saint Agatha was young, vulnerable, and materially powerless—yet she stood with unshakeable faith against coercion and violence. She relied on no earthly protection, only the authority of Christ within her. Her witness shows that holiness is not about what we carry, but whom we belong to.
Here is the line to carry today: God’s authority flows most freely through those who travel light and trust deeply. When we stop clinging to control, grace moves.
Parents, build saint-forming homes by modeling trust before certainty. Pray over your children by name, commissioning them daily for God’s purposes. Act in the power of the Holy Spirit, confident that obedience releases a grace no preparation alone can secure.
“Christ sent his apostles so that through them, he might continue his mission.” (CCC 849)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
In My Heart: Where am I relying more on preparation than on trust in God?
In My Home: How do we model dependence on God rather than control of outcomes?
In My World: Where might God be asking me to step forward with less security but greater faith?
FAMILY LIVE IT
Make some time today to gather together and, going around, share one place where each person feels unsure but senses God calling them forward.
Then pray aloud together. Offer your fears and expectations to the Lord. Pray over each person by name, asking that they know God’s personal love, be freed from the Enemy’s lies about self-reliance, receive strength to overcome temptation, and live the Gospel with courage and joy.
Daily Challenge: Take one small step of obedience today without over-planning, trusting God to meet you on the way.
DAILY PARENT & GRANDPARENT BLESSING
LORD JESUS CHRIST, let Your holy anointing be upon each of our children, grandchildren, and godchildren this day and week, including all to whom they are called in vocation, and all future generations! In Your Sacred Name we claim them for You! We renounce all whispers, lies, and influences of the Enemy! We pray right now that each know Your loving Presence, be forged in virtue, and be flooded with an abundance of Your Holy Spirit to live fully their identity and mission in You now and through all eternity, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother! Amen.
PARENT BLESSING PROJECT: bit.ly/ParentBlessing
GOING VERTICAL
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Just as the vertical beam upholds the horizontal beam of the Cross, so too does undistracted, dedicated daily turning to God as our lifeblood uphold and strengthen every part of life. Start with just three minutes. Wait patiently for the breakthrough beyond the noise. Let Him speak.
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The insight about authority coming before clarity really lands. So many times I've waited for perfect understanding before acting, but watching my kids they trust way before they comprehend. The connection to Saint Agatha's witness makes it concrete, she had zero earthly backup but still stood firm becuase authority flows from belonging not preparation.