Today is Nov. 22, memorial of St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr.
In the readings for the feast of St. Cecilia we read, “I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD” (Hs 2:21-2).
St. Cecilia’s martyrdom is a story of unwavering faith, divine love and ultimate sacrifice. Cecilia, a noble Roman lady, faced the fiercest trials with a heart aflame for Christ, embodying the words of Scripture: “Deep waters cannot quench love, nor rivers sweep it away” (Song of Songs 8:7).
According to the account of her martyrdom, Cecilia was married to Valerian, a pagan, and she converted him and his brother Tiburtius to Christianity. This act of faith led to their martyrdom, as they were executed for their beliefs.
When condemned to death by the prefect Almachius, Cecilia was subjected to the suffocating heat of the caldarium — the bathhouse furnace — intended to end her life without shedding noble blood publicly. Yet, much like the three young men in the fiery furnace of Babylon, Cecilia remained untouched by the flames. A heavenly dew cooled the scorching heat, symbolizing God’s protective presence over those who are faithful. This miraculous preservation highlighted that no earthly power could extinguish the divine fire burning within her soul. Ultimately, she was executed by the sword, dying for her faith during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus, around the year A.D. 230.
In her willingness to face death without fear, Cecilia mirrors Christ’s own passion. As the account of her martyrdom reports, she said in a speech to the crowds assembled at her trial, “To die for Christ is not to sacrifice one’s youth, but to renew it.” She offered her life freely, embracing her cross with joy. Her martyrdom invites us to consider the depth of our own faith.
Today let us pray for the grace to witness Christ to those we love:
O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of your handmaid Saint Cecilia, grant, we pray, that what has been devoutly handed down concerning her may offer us examples to imitate and proclaim the wonders worked in his servants by Christ your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
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