(c.625-c.700) Agricola’s dad, Saint Magnus of Avignon, was a Roman senator in France who became a monk and then a bishop. Saint Agricola took on the “family business,” becoming a Benedictine monk and a priest himself, then co-bishop with his father. He became the bishop of Avignon, France, where he built a Benedictine convent and was a renowned preacher. According to some accounts, his blessing ended an “invasion” of storks, so in case you were looking for the patron of storks, it is Agricola. His prayers were also associated with good weather, leading to that patronage as well.
While some, like Saint Agricola, follow their families into holiness, others follow a pattern of addiction. We do not have power over our parents’ or our children’s choices, and we are not doomed by them either. We have made a choice in recovery to break any dark cycles or prevent them from starting.
Saint Agricola and Saint Magnus of Avignon, son and father, pray for us, that our families and friends will follow our example of light and life, and together we will avoid the storms of darkness and the culture of death. Amen.
Reflection by Brad Farmer