Happy St. Cecilia Day!

Today is the feast of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of liturgical music.  Although she is often depicted playing an organ or lute, the story of her 2nd Century life only mentions music that Cecilia sang "in her heart" to the Lord.

Cecilia was a Roman noblewoman forced to marry a nobleman, Valerian.  Before they could consummate their marriage, Cecilia told Valerian she had pledged to remain a virgin and an angel protected her.  Inspired by her faith, Valerian and his brother were baptized and devoted their lives to burying the early Christian martyrs.  For her part, Cecilia preached, converting hundreds.  She became a target for the local prefect who ordered her killed by suffocation in the baths.  Despite being locked into the baths for a day and a half in intense heat, Cecilia didn't break a sweat. (No, really, she didn't sweat.)  The prefect then sent an assassin who attempted to behead Cecilia, striking her three times with a sword.  She did not die.  For three days she bled, still preaching to those who would hear her, until she succumbed to her injuries.  Over 1,000 years later, her body was exhumed and found to be incorruptible (intact and not decayed).  She wore a veil over her head and appeared to be asleep.

On this day, liturgical musicians the world over have concerts in her honor.  While she is mostly remembered as the patron saint of music, her story is typical of the story of many women in the early Church.  Her faith was unchanging and her convictions as a virgin were unshakable.  She preached and converted those around her.  She chose to die for her love for Jesus.  She was the very first incorruptible saint.

I hope you are as inspired as I am by this great woman of faith.

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Kids Got You Down? I've Got a Saint for You!

Today would have been my mother's 85th birthday.  She shares this day with St. Monica, a saint she definitely admired.  You see, St. Monica is the patron saint of mothers.  (No, not the mother of all patron saints!)

She lived in the 3rd Century and married a man who wasn't exactly the nicest guy.  He didn't beat her, but he was loud and mean and a womanizer.  What was her response to the verbal and psychological abuse?  She prayed.  Yep, that's it.  She prayed and he converted.  Her cranky mother-in-law was converted too!

Monica also had three children.  Her oldest son was a brilliant thinker, but a pagan with a bad temper and a wandering eye just like his father.  He lived with a mistress and fathered a child out of wedlock.  Monica and her tears followed him from Africa through Italy, much to his chagrin.  More important than her tears and her tailing him was her prayers.  She constantly prayed for her son and his conversion.  Finally, he relented, converted and was baptized.

Her son was St. Augustine of Hippo, one of most greatest thinkers and theologians of the Church.

Her life wasn't easy and her patience was sorely tested during all those years of praying without an answer, but she persevered.  She is a model for mothers.  You don't need "bad" kids to know that being a good mother always involves patience, doggedness and prayer.

St. Monica, pray for us.

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