1 Peter 3:13-17
“Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.”
This passage is taken from the first letter of Saint Peter the Apostle. Peter was aware of the persecutions the early Christians were enduring. They were dispersed in various provinces of Asia Minor (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia) and he wanted to encourage them. He begins the letter by praising God for His great mercy, which led to the believers’ new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He emphasizes the incorruptible and lasting inheritance that awaits believers in heaven. He affirms that even if they face temporary trials and sufferings, these serve to purify their faith, which is more precious than gold. He exhorts believers to live a holy life and obey God, as they have been redeemed not with perishable things, but with the precious blood of Christ.
The verse we cited is from the heart of Peter’s first letter. For Peter, it is essential to be fervent in doing good and bearing witness. Witnessing then, has the power to prompt questions in those who observe Christians, and they are called to be ready to give a reason for their hope, but with gentleness and respect. Indeed, if we are arrogant in presenting our faith, it is like scoring a soccer goal for the opposing team.
I have always been fascinated by martyrs because their giving their lives for Christ truly is evidence of the hope within them. The martyr fully lives what we are meditating on: they prefer to suffer by doing good and therefore evangelize with gentleness and respect.
This year, my community and I visited the Basilica of Santa Cecilia. I am fond of this basilica because my parents were married there, and they named their first daughter, who died at only 4 months old, Cecilia.
In this basilica, there is a beautiful work of art: Maderno’s statue of Saint Cecilia. Let us take a step back. Who was Cecilia? She was a Roman nobleperson who lived around the second-third century. Despite her vow of chastity to the Lord, Cecilia was married through an arranged marriage, to a nobleperson named Valerian. It is said that on her wedding day, organs and joyful songs resonated in Cecilia’s house with which she expressed her undivided love to the Lord. From this circumstance, Cecilia began to be considered the patron saint of music, musicians, and singers.
After confiding her vow to her husband, he converted to Christianity. On their wedding night, he was baptized by Pope Urban I. Now a convinced believer, Valerian prayed that his brother Tiburtius would also receive the same grace, and so it was.
The judge Almachius had forbidden, among other things, the burial of Christian bodies, but the two newly converted brothers dedicated themselves to burying all the poor bodies they encountered along their way. They were thus arrested and endured atrocious tortures rather than renounce God, and they were beheaded. Cecilia prayed at her husband’s tomb and shortly after was called before Judge Almachius, who ordered her to be burned.
However, it is said that “the Saint, instead of dying, sang praises to the Lord.” Her death penalty was converted to death by decapitation, and the executioner struck the three legal blows (this was the executioner’s “contract” for each killing), but Cecilia did not die, remaining in agony for three days. Unable to speak, it is said that she testified to her faith in the one and triune God with her hands.
It was Pope Urban I, her spiritual guide, who gave her a proper burial in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus. In 821, her remains were transferred by Pope Paschal I to the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. In 1599, during restorations of the basilica, ordered by Cardinal Paolo Emilio Sfondrati in anticipation of the upcoming Jubilee of 1600, a sarcophagus was found holding Cecilia’s uncorrupted body, emitting the scent of lilies and roses.
The cardinal then commissioned Stefano Maderno to create a statue that would faithfully reproduce the appearance and position of Cecilia’s body as it had been found: her head turned due to the decapitation, three fingers of her right hand indicating the Trinity, and one finger of her left indicating God. This is the statue that stands today under the main altar of the church.
It is a true masterpiece, a classical work, a work that speaks to all people of all times. Cecilia’s calmness, serenity, gentleness and at the same time her strength, faith and hope are clearly visible.
Cecilia’s hope did not consist of thinking that nothing bad would ever happen to her. No, Christian hope is not this; it is not believing that everything will be fine, that there will be no trouble, suffering or persecution. No, Christian hope consists of passionately believing that God is with us; it is believing in God’s powerful intervention in our lives, and this changes everything.
When you see situations in your life worsening, do not despair; when you see no way out of your many problems, when you are beset by thoughts and worries – hope, hope in the Lord. His intervention is certain, and His Providence is guaranteed. It is about turning to Him with faith and waiting.
Christian hope is founded on faith in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He tells us that He has overcome the world and that He is with us every day until the end of time. Cecilia passionately believed this; she hoped against all hope and loved with her whole being, soul, and body.
Concrete Resolution:
During this month, I will try to bear witness to my hope first and foremost through my life and actions, and then with my words. I will commit to never using disrespectful expressions and will always try to speak calmly without raising my voice. I want gentleness to characterize my way of relating to others.
This month’s meditation is by Sr. Tiziana, AVI.
