From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   November 22nd - St. Cecilia of Rome   
      
   In the fourth century appeared a Greek religious romance on the Loves of   
   Cecilia and Valerian, written, like those of Chrysanthus and Daria, Julian   
   and Basilissa, in glorification of the virginal life, and with the purpose   
   of taking the place of the sensual romances of Daphnis and Chloe, Chereas   
   and Callirhoe, etc., which were then popular. There may have been a   
   foundation of fact on which the story was built up; but the Roman Calendar   
   of the fourth century, and the Carthaginian Calendar of the fifth make no   
   mention of Cecilia.   
      
   It is said, however, that there was a church dedicated to S. Cecilia in Rome   
   in the fifth century, in which Pope Symmachus held a council in 500. But   
   Symmachus held no council in that year. That held at Easter, 502, was in the   
   "basilica Julii"; that on September 1, 505, was held in the "basilica   
   Sessoriana"; that on October 23, 501, was in "porticu beati Petri apostoli   
   que appelatur Palmaria." The next synod, November 6, 502, met in the church   
   of St. Peter; that in 533, "ante confessionem beati Petri"; and that in 503   
   also in the basilica of S. Peter. Consequently, till better evidence is   
   produced, we must conclude that S. Cecilia was not known or venerated in   
   Rome till about the time when Pope Gelasius (496) introduced her name into   
   his Sacramentary. In 821, however, there was an old church fallen into decay   
   with the dedication to S. Cecilia; but Pope Paschal I dreamed that the body   
   of the saint lay in the cemetery of S. Celestas, along with that of her   
   husband Valerian. He accordingly looked for them and found them, or, at all   
   events, some bodies, as was probable, in the catacombs, which he was pleased   
   to regard as those of Cecilia and Valerian. And he translated these relics   
   to the church of S. Cecilia, and founded a monastery in their honor.   
      
   The story of St. Cecilia is not without beauty and merit. There was in the   
   city of Rome a virgin named Cecilia, who was given in marriage to a youth   
   named Valerian. She wore sackcloth next to her skin, and fasted, and invoked   
   the saints and angels and virgins, beseeching them to guard her virginity.   
   And she said to her husband, "I will tell you a secret if you will swear not   
   to reveal it to anyone." And when he swore, she added, "There is an angel   
   who watches me, and wards off from me any who would touch me." He said,   
   "Dearest, if this be true, show me the angel." "That can only be if you will   
   believe in one God, and be baptized."   
      
   She sent him to Pope S. Urban (223-230), who baptized him; and when he   
   returned, he saw Cecilia praying in her chamber, and an angel by her with   
   flaming wings, holding two crowns of roses and lilies, which he placed on   
   their heads, and then vanished. Shortly after, Tibertius, the brother of   
   Valerian, entered, and wondered at the fragrance and beauty of the flowers   
   at that season of the year.   
      
   When he heard the story of how they had obtained these crowns, he also   
   consented to be baptized. After their baptism the two brothers devoted   
   themselves to burying the martyrs slain daily by the prefect of the city,   
   Turcius Almachius. [There was no prefect of that name.] They were arrested   
   and brought before the prefect, and when they refused to sacrifice to the   
   gods were executed with the sword.   
      
   In the meantime, S. Cecilia, by preaching had converted four hundred   
   persons, whom Pope Urban forthwith baptized. Then Cecilia was arrested, and   
   condemned to be suffocated in the baths. She was shut in for a night and a   
   day, and the fires were heaped up, and made to glow and roar their utmost,   
   but Cecilia did not even break out into perspiration through the heat. When   
   Almachius heard this he sent an executioner to cut off her head in the bath.   
   The man struck thrice without being able to sever the head from the trunk.   
   He left her bleeding, and she lived three days. Crowds came to her, and   
   collected her blood with napkins and sponges, whilst she preached to them or   
   prayed. At the end of that period she died, and was buried by Pope Urban and   
   his deacons.   
      
   Alexander Severus, who was emperor when Urban was Pope, did not persecute   
   the Church, though it is possible some Christians may have suffered in his   
   reign. Herodian says that no person was condemned during the reign of   
   Alexander, except according to the usual course of the law and by judges of   
   the strictest integrity. A few Christians may have suffered, but there can   
   have been no furious persecutions, such as is described in the Acts as waged   
   by the apocryphal prefect, Turcius Almachius.   
      
   Urbanus was the prefect of the city, and Ulpian, who had much influence at   
   the beginning of Alexander's reign as principal secretary of the emperor and   
   commander of the Praetorian Guards, is thought to have encouraged   
   persecution. Usuardus makes Cecilia suffer under Commodus. Molanus transfers   
   the martyrdom to the reign of Marcus Aurelius. But it is idle to expect to   
   extract history from romance.   
      
   In 1599 Cardinal Paul Emilius Sfondrati, nephew of Pope Gregory XIV, rebuilt   
   the church of S. Cecilia.   
      
   St. Cecilia is regarded as the patroness of music [because of the story that   
   she heard heavenly music in her heart when she was married], and is   
   represented in art with an organ or organ-pipes in her hand.   
      
   From The Lives of the Saints by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould, M.A., published in   
   1914 in Edinburgh.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   The Saints rejoiced at injuries and persecutions, because in forgiving them   
   they had something to present to God when they prayed to Him.   
   -St. Teresa of Avila   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has   
   given the promise is faithful.  (Heb. 10:23)   
      
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   Three prayers of St. Basil the Great; one before Holy Communion, one for   
   guidance, and one for penance:   
      
   O Lord, I know that I am unworthy to receive Thy Holy Body and   
   Precious Blood; I know that I am guilty, and that I eat and drink   
   condemnation to myself, not discerning the Body and Blood of Christ my   
   God. But trusting in Thy loving-kindness I come unto Thee who hast said:   
   He that eateth my Body and drinketh my Blood shall dwell in me and I in   
   him. Therefore, O Lord, have compassion on me and make not an example of   
   me, Thy sinful servant. But do unto me according thy great mercy, and   
   grant that these Holy Gifts may be for me unto the healing, purification,   
   enlightenment, protection, salvation and sanctification of my soul and   
   body, and to the expulsion of every evil imagination, sinful deed or work   
   of the Devil. May they move me to reliance on Thee and to love Thee   
   always, to amend and keep firm my life; and be ever in me to the increase   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)