Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 22nd November

Message from Fr Paul for Monday, 22nd November 2021

           Today is the feast of St Cecilia, the 3rd century Roman virgin martyr, who came to be venerated as the patron saint of music and musicians, and for that reason is known and honoured throughout the world. Her feast is often the occasion for musical celebrations and concerts. She was martyred for her Christian faith and for convincing her young pagan husband of a few days to seek baptism and to honour her virginity by not consuming their marriage. His name was Valerian and he, too, was martyred together with his brother Tibertius; a young Roman soldier called Maximus was martyred with them, so today we remember all four. They witnessed to the world that their faith in Christ and the reality of eternal life was far stronger than their attraction to life in this world and all that it has to offer. Their love in heaven would be deeper and their happiness eternal.

           It would be true to say that St Cecilia and her fellow martyrs emulated the faith of the poor widow in today’s Gospel from Luke, (Lk 21: 1-4), who gave away all she had, indeed, the little she had, for love of God. Luke writes, “As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’” You could say that by giving all she had to live on, this poor widow has given away her very life. She preferred charity and destitution to guaranteeing her next meal, her only means of staying alive. As a poor widow she had no obligation to put alms into the treasury. In other words, she bears witness to the power of God to save and sustain her, not just in this life, but in the world to come. She manifests her faith in eternal life and the kingdom of heaven. Through the prayers of St Cecilia, with a joyful heart let us pray that each one of us may in our own small way bear witness to our faith in Christ and in God’s gift of eternal life.