The Musical Martyr
November 22nd is when the Church remembers St. Cecilia, a noblewoman who lived in Rome in the third century. Various sources tell the story of her life differently, with the result that aside from the fact that she was martyred, many of the specific details of her life are unclear. Yet there are some details that most of those sources seem to have in common:
As a young woman, Cecilia dedicated herself to a life of singleness so that she could devote herself to serving the Lord and his Church. Despite her wishes, however, her parents arranged for her to be married to a young pagan man named Valerian. The thought of being married to the pagan Valerian against her will was naturally distressing to St. Cecilia, and it is said that while the musicians played at her wedding festivities, she made her own music by singing prayers to her Lord.
The Christian witness of this young woman soon brought Valerian to the waters of baptism, and before long Valerian’s brother Tiburtius was also converted. It is said that the two of them were so active in acts of service to the Christian community that the Roman prefect soon heard of their conversion and sentenced them to death. Before they could be executed, however, they instructed their jailer and his family in the Christian faith and had them baptized.
Shortly thereafter, the prefect also ordered Cecilia’s execution, commanding that she be executed by placing her in the baths and stoking the furnace underneath in order to avoid a public show. When Cecilia emerged unharmed, the prefect ordered that she be executed by beheading, though after three attempts—the most allowed by law—the executioner had failed to end her life, and she remained alive three days before she fell asleep in Christ.
During those three days, it is said that she requested that Urban, the bishop of Rome at that time, make her home into a church. In accordance with her wishes, the site where her home once stood is now the church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. It is also said that she spent those three days before her death singing songs to God and comforting herself with sacred music.
A Brief History
St. Cecilia appears to have been a beloved figure in the Roman Church both during her lifetime and during the years immediately following her death. Subsequently, the observance of her heavenly birthday on November 22 appears to date back to the earliest centuries of the Church. This can be seen from the fact that she is remembered on this date in the churches of both the East and the West.
This observance of St. Cecilia has continued throughout the history of the Western Church, including the Lutheran Church, to the present day. While some more recent Lutheran hymnals like the Lutheran Service Book do not include the day in their calendar of saints, other prominent Lutherans have observed this commemoration, with the renowned nineteenth-century pastor Wilhelm Loehe, for example, including it in his martyrology, or calendar of saints.
Because music is a prominent theme in the story of St. Cecilia’s life, her feast day has especially been a time of celebration for musicians. Famous composers including Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel even composed pieces of music to be performed on her feast day.
Collect
O God, Who among the other miracles of Thy power, hast given even maidens the victory of martyrdom: grant we beseech Thee, that we, who are celebrating the heavenly birthday of Blessed Cecilia, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may, by her example be inspired to greater faith in Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Lessons
Epistle
Gospel
Resources
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
References:
1. Bentley, James. A Calendar of Saints: The Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year. Tiger Books International. 1986.
2. Parsch, Pius. The Church’s Year of Grace. The Liturgical Press. 1959.
Images:
1. St. Cecilia with Four Saints, Marcantonio Raimondi, Italy, ca. 1500-1520.
2. Saint Cecilia, Simon Vouet, France, 1626.
Very interesting! I had never heard this story, or perhaps it was so long ago, I didn’t remember.
Will listen to music of Purcell & Handel, two of my favorites. Thank you for this post!