Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 22, 2022
While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
Reflection
As we observe the feast day of St. Cecilia—the patron saint of music and musicians—Jesus assures us in today’s gospel that we can take comfort in him despite the violence that might surround us.
Although Jesus refers to terrible “wars and insurrections” that may come to pass in the end times, we can easily imagine similar horrors if we fixate on the negative aspects of our world today. Some of us might find ourselves endlessly doom scrolling on our devices, gripped by one tragic headline after another. All of it can be so overwhelming. There are endless problems to solve, yet Jesus says, “do not be terrified?”
As a musician, one quote that often comes to mind when I‘m feeling overwhelmed by the world’s brutality comes from the American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
St. Cecilia had a similar response when she was met with extreme violence. Tradition tells us that as she was martyred, she used her final breaths to praise God in song. Her final response to violence was to create beauty. Similarly, Blessed Dorothy Day once said, “the world will be saved by beauty,” expressing the conviction of her faith in Jesus and the importance of beauty.
St. Cecelia, pray that we may have the courage to reflect God’s beauty when faced with the ugliness of the world’s violence.
Prayer
Gracious Father, you are our comfort, our guide, and our shield through the turbulent tide of personal trials and humanity’s distress. When the troubles of this world rise up against us, give us firm resolve to speak your truth and share your mercy. May we faithfully cling to your wisdom, made flesh in Christ Jesus and dwelling with us in the Spirit. For you are God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Cecilia is one of the most venerated martyrs from early Christianity, one of the few who is invoked in a Eucharistic prayer during the celebration of the Mass. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians and some of her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
There are few historically verifiable details from Cecilia's biography, but legends that pass on the story of her life have endured through the ages. A famous church in Cecilia's honor was built in Rome, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, traditionally believed to be built over the site of her home, and Cecilia's body rests there.
While Cecilia was still young, her parents arranged a marriage for her with a wealthy Roman named Valerian, who was not a Christian. It is said that when she heard the music play around her during her raucous Roman wedding celebration, Cecilia barely noticed, as she was singing a hymn of love in her heart for Jesus the entire time. Cecilia had committed herself as a spouse to Christ before her marriage to Valerian. This is one of the legends that caused her to be invoked as a patron saint of musicians.
On their wedding night, Cecilia told Valerian of her commitment to God and taught him the Christian faith. Valerian converted that very night, requesting to be baptized along with his brother.
Valerian and his brother were both wealthy Roman citizens, thus, after their conversion, they dedicated their fortune to support Christian families who had suffered the death of a loved one in martyrdom. Eventually, the two brothers were captured and sentenced to death. The soldier charged with killing them was converted by their great faith, however, and, instead of killing them, took them into his house, begging that they would baptize him and his whole family.
The next day, Valerian, his brother, and the soldier were all beheaded. Cecilia made sure they were buried properly and distributed the goods of their households among the poor.
Eventually, Cecilia herself was captured for her bold proclamation of the faith and she was condemned to die by suffocation in steam baths. Despite remaining in the baths for a day and a half, Cecilia remained unharmed and able to breathe freely.
Legend has it that a soldier was sent to behead Cecilia, but after the three blows of the sword allowed by law, her head was not severed. She appeared incapacitated but peaceful, joyfully awaiting her death and union with Christ. Faithful friends gathered around her and waited with her until she died three days later. She was buried by the pope himself.
In 1599, when Cecilia's body was exhumed from under the church in Rome, it was reportedly found incorrupt, as though she had just been laid in the ground.
Some of St. Cecilia’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica and she is also depicted there in the stained glass windows seen in this biography. Her feast day is celebrated on November 22nd.
St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians—pray for us!