-- 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 --

 -- 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 --

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God
chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the
lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things
that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast
before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has
become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness
and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts
boast in the Lord."
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
No amount of knowledge can replace or bypass Christ's work on the
cross. The way to receive salvation is so simple that any person who
wants to can understand it. Skill and wisdom do not get a person into
God's Kingdom--simple faith does--so no one can boast that his=20
achievements helped him secure eternal life. Salvation is totally from=20
God through Jesus' death. There is nothing we can do to earn our=20
salvation, we need only accept what Jesus has already done for us.

<<>><<>><<>>
22 November =E2=80=93 St Cecilia

(died 3rd Century)

Virgin & Martyr =E2=80=93 Patronages:  Hymns, musicians, poets, City of Alb=
i
in France, Mar del Plata, Argentina, Academy of Music in Rome,
chastity and purity, composers, musical instrument manufacturers, 3
Diocese, City of Acquasparta, Italy. St Cecilia, is the Patroness of
Musicians because it is written that as the musicians played at her
wedding she =E2=80=9Csang in her heart to the Lord=E2=80=9D.

With many of the early church martyrs, there are often stories and
legends but not much historical information. Saint Cecilia probably
lived in the third century and tradition says she died about 230 AD.
Although details of her life may be unknown to us, Saint Cecilia was
one of the most revered early virgin martyrs of Rome, as evidenced by
her name appearing in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer
1). She is one of the seven women commemorated by name in the Roman
Canon. There is evidence of a church named in her honour dating to the
late fourth century. A feast day in honour of Saint Cecilia was
celebrated as early as 545.

Cecilia was born in a wealthy Roman family and was a Christian by
birth. Her family gave her in marriage to Valerius, a pagan nobleman.
Cecilia promised to remain a virgin and she was successful in
persuading Valerius to respect her virginity on their wedding night.
Later, Valerius was converted to Catholicism along with his brother,
Tiburtius.

These two brothers dedicated themselves to burying the Christian
martyrs, which was illegal. They were arrested and sentenced to death
for refusing to renounce their religion.

Cecilia continued the work of converting people to the Christian faith
and of burying the Christian dead, even though it was against the law.
Hundreds were baptised through her witness and strength of faith. She
planned to have her home preserved as a church after her death. Her
refusal to worship false gods and her burying of the dead lead to her
arrest.

Saint Cecilia was brought to trial and sentenced to death. It took
several days for her to die and it is said that she converted many
people who came to care for her as she was dying. Saint Cecilia died
lying on her right side with her hands crossed in prayer. The position
of her fingers=E2=80=94three extended on her right hand and one on the
left=E2=80=94were her final silent profession of faith in the Holy Trinity,
Three Persons in one God. Saint Cecilia was buried in the Catacomb of
Saint Callistus.

In the Middle Ages, Saint Cecilia became a very popular saint. There
is a story that Saint Cecilia was said to have heard heavenly music
inside her heart when she was forced to marry the pagan Valerian.
During her wedding, Cecilia sat and sang to God in her heart. Thus,
she was declared to be the patron of musicians. Musical compositions,
poems, art, and festivals have grown out of this story.

A few examples of the many artistic works about Saint Cecilia:
The first record of a music festival in her honor was held at =C3=89vreux
in Normandy in 1570.
Chaucer commemorates Saint Cecilia in his =E2=80=9CSecond Nun=E2=80=99s Tal=
e.=E2=80=9D
John Dryden=E2=80=99s poem =E2=80=9CA Song for Saint Cecilia=E2=80=99s Day=
=E2=80=9D was set to music
by Handel in his =E2=80=9COde for Saint Cecilia=E2=80=99s Day.=E2=80=9D
Charles Gounod composed the Saint Cecilia Mass.
Benjamin Britten composed the =E2=80=9CHymn to Saint Cecilia.=E2=80=9D
Saint Cecilia reminds us of the ways that our music and art can lead
us to praise God.

The Sisters of Saint Cecilia, religious sisters, shear the lambs=E2=80=99 w=
ool
used to make the palliums of new metropolitan archbishops. The lambs
are raised by the Cistercian Trappist Fathers of the Tre Fontane
(Three Fountains) Abbey in Rome. The lambs are blessed by the Pope
every year on 21 January, the Feast of the martyr Saint Agnes. The
pallia are given by the Pope to the new metropolitan archbishops on
the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June.

St Cecilia=E2=80=99s body was exhumed in 1599 and is the first instance in =
the
Church of a saint being incorrupt. Her remains are located at the
Church of St Cecilia in the Trastevere region of Rome, where a
beautiful Statue depicting the position in which her body lay as she
died by Stefano Maderno (1600), one of the most famous examples of
Baroque sculpture.  The pavement in front of the statue encloses a
marble slab with Maderno=E2=80=99s sworn statement that he has recorded the
body as he saw it when the tomb was opened in 1599. The statue depicts
the three axe strokes described in the 5th-century account of her
martyrdom. It also is meant to underscore the incorruptibility of her
body, which miraculously still had congealed blood after centuries.

https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/22/


Saint Quote:
Ask your angel to console and assist you in your last moments.
-- Saint John Bosco


And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, =E2=80=9CWo=
uld
that even today you knew the things that make for peace!=E2=80=9D=E2=80=A6L=
uke
19:41-42


PRAYER
Lord our God, in Your mercy listen to our prayers! Teach us the peace
of Your love. Guide us in the ways of Your Commandments. Let the path
laid out by Your Son, be our Light and our Joy. Grant that by the
prayers of Your Martyr, St Cecilia and all Your Saints, we may receive
strength for our journey. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy
Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.