Sancta Caecilia

Santa Cecilja, patruna tal-muzicisti u kantanti. Il-memorja taghha tigi ccelebrata kemm fil-Knisja Latina kif ukoll fil-Knisja Ortodossa nhar it-22 ta´ Novembru.

She was a cultivated young patrician woman whose ancestors loomed large in Rome's history. She vowed her virginity to God, but her parents married her to Valerian of Trastevere. Cecilia told her new husband that she was accompanied by an angel, but in order to see it, he must be purified. He agreed to the purification, and was baptised; returning from the ceremony, he found her in prayer accompanied by a praying angell. The angel placed a crown on each of their heads, and offered Valerian a favor; the new convert asked that his brother be baptised. The two brothers developed a ministry of giving proper burial to martyred Christians. In their turn they were arrested and martyred for their faith. Cecilia buried them at her villa on the Via Appia, and was arrested for the action. She was ordered to sacrifice to false gods; when she refused, she was martyred in her turn. The Acta of Cecilia includes the following: "While the profane music of her wedding was heard, Cecilia was singing in her heart a hymn of love for Jesus, her true spouse." It was this phrase that led to her association with music, singers, musicians, composers, musical instrument makers etc. She was martyred in c. 117; suffocated, and when that didn't kill her, she was beheaded for three times, and when neither that killed her hse was left to suffer for three days before she took her final breaths and died. Her grave was discovered in 817, and her body removed to the church of Saint Cecilia in Trastevere (Rome). The tomb was opened in 1599, and her body found to be in the above position totally incorrupt. ____________________________________________________________

Era una cultivada mujer joven cuyos ancestros fueron grandes en la historia de Roma. Ella consagró su virginidad a Dios, pero sus padres le casaron con Valeriano de Trastevere. El Acta de Cecilia incluye lo siguiente: " Cuando ella escuchaba la música profana de su boda cantó en su corazón un himno de amor a Jesús, su verdadero esposo." Esta frase fue la que dio lugar a su asociación con la música, cantantes, músicos, etc. Cecilia le dijo a su marido que estaba acompañado por un ángel, pero para que él pudiera verlo, debería ser purificado. Él estuvo de acuerdo con la purificación, y se hizo bautizar. Cuando regresaban de la ceremonia, éste la encontró en oración acompañada de un ángel. El ángel colocó una corona sobre sus cabezas, y pidió a Valeriano un favor: la conversión de su hermano y que éste fuera bautizado. Los dos hermanos desarrollaron el ministerio de dar debida sepultura a los mártires cristianos. A su vez éstos fueron detenidos y martirizados por su fe. Cecilia los sepultó en su casa en la vía Appia, y fue detenida en la acción. Se le ordenó sacrificar a los dioses falsos. Cuando ella se negó, fue martirizada. Era martirizada aprox. en el 117 d.C. Fue asfixiada por un tiempo, y no pudieron matarla. Tres veces el verdugo intentó decapitarla, pero tampoco pudo. La dejó en agonía durante tres días hasta que murió sola. Su tumba la descubrieron en el 817, y su cuerpo trasladado a la iglesia de Santa Cecilia en Trastevere (Roma). La tumba fue abierta en 1599, y su cuerpo se encontró en la posición que puede verse en la imágen totalmente incorrupta.

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