Saint of the Day - Cecilia (November 22nd)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 2023-11-21

Every Nov. 22, the Catholic Church commemorates Saint Cecilia, a Roman virgin martyr and the patroness of music and musicians.

Virgin Wife

Cecilia's family was one of the principal families of Rome. According to the cultural custom of the time, Cecilia made her vow to be consecrated to God and remain a virgin.

However, despite her vows, her parents forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. During the wedding, Cecilia sat apart singing to God in her heart.

By the time their marriage is to be consummated, Cecilia told Valerian that watching over her was an angel of the Lord, who would punish him if he sexually violated her but would love him if he respected her virginity.

When Valerian asked to see the angel, Cecilia replied that he could see the angel if he would go to the third milestone on the Via Appia and be baptized by Pope Urban I. After following Cecilia's advice, he saw the angel standing beside her, crowning her with a chaplet of roses and lilies.

She later converted Valerian's brother Tiburtius as well.

Martyrdom

At that time, it was forbidden for anyone to bury the bodies of Christians. Regardless, newly-baptized Valerian and his brother dedicated themselves to burying the bodies of all the Christians they found.

This action led to their arrest and were ordered to deny their Christian faith and instead worship the Roman god Jupiter. They refused, They were martyred after they refused to do what they were told.

Then, they came for Cecilia and strongly advised her to renounce her faith. In reply, she told them that she would prefer to die than denounce the true faith.

According to legend, she was brought to a large oven to suffocate her with the hot and toxic gasses it emitted. However, instead of choking, Cecilia began to sing.

Her persecutors then attempted to behead her, but after three strokes of the sword, Cecilia was still alive and her head was not severed.

The soldiers then left her covered in blood in her own home. Before she died, Cecilia asked the pope to convert her home into a church. She died three days after the failed beheading.

Cecilia was buried in the Catacomb of Callixtus and later transferred to the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, the previous house in which she lived. In 1599, her body was found still incorrupt, seeming to be asleep.

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Images attributed to the following:
- By Guercino - WQHZBrhxayUygg at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22000140
- By Francesco Botticini - Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1328057
- By Carlo Saraceni - Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15397726