From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Of a Pure Mind and Simple Intention (1)   
      
   MAN is raised up from the earth by two wings-simplicity and purity.   
   There must be simplicity in his intention and purity in his desires.   
   Simplicity leads to God, purity embraces and enjoys Him. If your heart   
   is free from ill-ordered affection, no good deed will be difficult for   
   you. If you aim at and seek after nothing but the pleasure of God and   
   the welfare of your neighbor, you will enjoy freedom within.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 2, Chapter 4   
      
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   August 21st - St. Cyriaca   
   Also called Dominica   
      
   †. 249   
   This Roman widow of wealth was scourged to death - apparently for   
   harboring and distributing alms to the persecuted Christians. [Yonge]   
   (The story of Pudentiana is similar to that of the wealthy matron of a   
   century later.)   
      
   Domnica is a Latinized version of Cyriaca--both variously being   
   inferred to mean "dedicated" to the Lord or the Lord's Day.  The   
   Chandlery book is the only source found which also references this as   
   the site where the wealthy matron Cyriaca had her palatial home.   
      
   St. Domnica is referenced to have died in prison in Cilicia in the   
   year 286.  That date is suspect, although it's known that various   
   governor's did have general authority to harass Christians regarding   
   their refusal to follow pagan customs.   
      
   Laurence, Almoner of St. Cyriaca The Chandlery book has an abundance   
   of 'legend', including photographs of old paintings, which tie this   
   St. Cyriaca into the history of St. Laurence.  The legend makes enough   
   sense to be believable but hasn't been substantiated by direct   
   reference in any of the ancient writings found, so far.  One church   
   atop the Caelian (Coelian) Hill (one of the seven famous hills of   
   Rome) is called Santa Maria in Domnica.   
      
   Her martyrdom in 249 would make her a premature victim of the   
   persecution of Emperor Decius who assumed power in October, 249, and   
   didn't begin the 7th cycle of persecutions with an edict against   
   Christians until January 250.  In it, he ordered Bishops put to death   
   and others tortured until they recanted their faith.  (This is the   
   edict St. Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, managed to avoid by   
   retiring to a safe hiding place.  On his return, he took offence at   
   those still alive--obviously for their not having kept the faith.)   
      
   The date of her death makes more sense as 259--toward the end of the   
   GREAT persecution (8th) of Valerian begun in 257.  Page 199 of the   
   Clarke book summarizes the final edict:   
      
   "... in August, A.D. 258, ... Valerian had sent a new rescript ...   
   ordering that bishops, presbyters, and deacons by summarily put to   
   death; that senators, men of rank, and Roman knights be deprived of   
   both their rank and their property, and, if afterwards they persisted   
   in being Christians, be executed; that matrons lose their property and   
   be banished; that all imperial officials who have either confessed   
   before or confess now have their property confiscated, be reduced to   
   slavery, and sent to work on the imperial estates."   
      
   Page 185 of the Healy book emphasizes that, "Although the edict   
   expressly stated that the punishment to be inflicted on Christian   
   matrons was confiscation and banishment, there were several women of   
   noble birth who paid the extreme penalty." The supposedly extremely   
   wealthy widow and matron Cyriaca may have been among them.  (The   
   motives of the Empire regarding confiscation should be obvious.   
   Nowhere does there appear to be evidence that such confiscations were   
   turned over to those running the "pagan temples"--the supposed,   
   preferred alternative.)   
      
   She must be the "widow" who buried St. Laurence on 'her' "Ager Veran"   
   estate in 'her' cemetery.  It's no coincidence that's the area where   
   the poor people were buried.   
   She may be the one who began the process at that location next to her cemetery.   
      
   She can't be the almost 66 year old female apparently buried along   
   with the Popes and Cecilia in the oldest, most revered part of   
   Callistus after 300, unless that dating is late by at least 41 years.   
   She may have been the matriarch of the extended Cyriac family and   
   highly revered role model for many other wealthy females of Rome.  She   
   may have been among the wealthy Roman women called 'Lucina' during the   
   persecutions who seem not to exist other than as references to various   
   clandestine activities associated with underground burials.  Lucina,   
   the light, may have been the 'pseudonym' given to wealthy female   
   patrons who made the underground burials possible, primarily through   
   their ownership or control of the land surrounding Rome where the   
   catacombs were built.   
      
   In other words, given that all this activity was illegal, the real   
   names of the private individuals involved were never used.  When asked   
   where the resources came from, the answer may have been, "from   
   Lucina." (Ask the average citizen who the Vice-President of the United   
   States is to get an idea of how easy it would be, even now, to pass   
   off a fictitious name for some individual known to insiders but not   
   yet to the general populace.)   
      
   "DASVMIA QVIRIACE BONE FEMINE PALVMBRA SENe FELlE . . . QVÆ VIXIT   
   ANNOS LXVI DEPOSITA IIII KAL MARTIAS IN PACE"   
   "Cyriaca, a member of the noble Dasumian family, who died at the age   
   of sixty-six years, is called a 'dove without bitterness'.":   
   a eulogy that is found on other female graves.   
   Source:  The Catholic Encyclopedia, Roman Catacombs--Catacomb of   
   Callistus, 4th century.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Surely, if we remembered that God sees us when we sin, we should never   
   do what displeases Him.   
   -- St. Jerome   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God   
   who gives the increase."  (1 Corinthians 3:7)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Memorare to Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph   
      
       Remember, O Merciful Jesus, Immaculate Mary and glorious St.   
   Joseph that no one has ever had recourse to Your Protection, or   
   implore Your assistance without obtaining relief. Animated with a like   
   confidence, but weighted down by my sins, I prostrate myself before   
   You. O! Reject not my petitions, but graciously hear and grant them.   
   Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)