Nov 22 – Memorial for St. Cecilia, virgin, martyr
St. Cecilia (d. 117) was a cultivated young patrician woman, whose ancestors loomed large in Rome’s history. She vowed her virginity to God, but her parents married her to Valerian of Trastevere. She told her new husband that she was accompanied by an angel, but in order to see it, he must be purified. He agreed to the purification and was baptized. Returning from the ceremony, he found her in prayer accompanied by a praying angel. The angel placed a crown on each of their heads, and offered Valerian a favour; the new convert asked that his brother be baptized.
The two brothers developed a ministry of giving proper burial to martyred Christians. In their turn, they were arrested and martyred for their faith. Cecilia buried them at their villa on the Appian Way, and was arrested for the action. She was ordered to sacrifice to false gods, and when she refused, she was martyred in her turn.
She was suffocated for a while and when that didn’t kill her, she was beheaded. Her grave was discovered in 817, and her body removed to the Church of St. Cecilia in Rome. The tomb was opened in 1599 and her body was found to be incorrupt.
The Acta of Cecilia includes the following: “While the profane music of her wedding was heard, Cecilia was singing in her heart a hymn of love for Jesus, her true spouse.” It was this phrase that led to her association with music, singers, musicians, etc.
- Patron Saint Index
2 Mac 7:1,20-31
Lk 19:11-28
…observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them…
How is it that the mother of the seven boys in today’s 1st reading was able to hold fast and firm when she had to watch her sons be tortured to death? Many times we hear the phrase, “no parent should have to bury their child”. But this faith of ours calls us to a life that is above and beyond any human relationships, even the closest ones.
When we learn that this life is not ours, then life will take on a new dimension. If we read a little more in the first reading we learn that the mother dies too.
Can we be like this mother, whose life is entirely turned towards God? God who created the life of her sons, and to whom her sons ultimately belong to, and therefore she knows will return to him. So she says she will see them again in her time of mercy. I think this is one of the first persons I would like to meet if I get to heaven.
I have had the honour of meeting a woman somewhat like this mother in this life. She’s a lady in my parish and she lost her child two months after birth. Since then every day, she lives her best life, in accordance with the ways of Christ, so that one day, she can be reunited with her son.
But this life requires faith; and how do we grow such a fearless faith? I liken this aspect of our lives to muscles. Faith is that muscle we have to keep working on to grow and to maintain. And that is — both, and. We cannot simply train the muscle and expect it to be strong forever. It requires training and maintenance — both, and. Another aspect of this muscle is that it is interconnected to other muscles that support it. The bicep is often treated as a separate muscle from the tricep when in fact, they are both parts of the same muscle. To train one is to support the other.
Likewise, if we are to grow our faith to a level that transcends earthly powers, it needs to be supported, and faith is supported by prayer. Prayer is not just being able to recite prayers by heart, even if they are in Latin. But prayer really is cultivating a relationship with the one who gives and sustains life.
He is ready and willing to pour out abundant graces of faith into your life if you support your faith with prayer. The spiritual life of a Christian is rich with many ways of cultivating a relationship with God. Find one that suits you and live a holistic, multi-faceted Catholic life, supported by faith and prayer — so we can be like the martyrs we read about today.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Daryl De Payva)
Prayer: Lord, I want to grow my relationship with you, lead me on a path that will take me closer to you.
Thanksgiving: For all the times I have been able to live out my Christian faith proudly, thank you Lord.
OXYGEN 
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