# Saint Cecilia

An episode of [Saints Alive Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1598392451), 18 Nov 2024, 37 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1882754/episodes/16079770-saint-cecilia.mp3

“Arise, soldiers of Christ, throw away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” Today, we’ll hear the story of Saint Cecilia, one of the earliest and most famous Roman martyrs. In our episode today, we’ll hear not only her story but the story of her courageous and faithful husband Valerian. Together, they brought many souls to Christ and ultimately gave their lives as martyrs. Because Saint Cecilia is the patroness of music, we have two brand new original pieces written for this episode! Tune in today to hear the beautiful music and story of Saint Cecilia! Parental Guidance: True to the story of Saint Cecilia, both she and her husband Valerian were martyred for their faith. For sensitive listeners, parents may want to preview episode before listening with little ones. Original songs written by Patrick O’Connell and performed by Stacey Sumereau Saints Alive is brought to you by the #1 Catholic Prayer App, Hallow! Sign up today with a 30-day free trial! Please rate, review and share with friends and family! Find out more about Saints Alive at our website: https://www.saintsalivepodcast.com/

## Transcript

[0:02] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Saints Alive, where we take you with us to meet God's most heroic followers.
[0:08] SPEAKER_00: The Saints were just ordinary boys and girls who allowed God's love to transform them into real life superheroes.
[0:15] SPEAKER_00: Their love for God changed our world.
[0:18] SPEAKER_00: Did you know that God has sent you here to become a saint?
[0:21] SPEAKER_00: It's up to you to choose love over fear, to be courageous, faithful, and kind.
[0:26] SPEAKER_00: The choice to become a saint won't be easy, but it will be worth it.
[0:30] SPEAKER_00: So listen closely and open your hearts.
[0:33] SPEAKER_00: These real life tales of the saints from the past may just inspire you how to live your story.
[0:39] SPEAKER_00: Let's go on this adventure together.
[1:20] SPEAKER_00: One of the earliest and most famous Roman martyrs.
[1:24] SPEAKER_00: And though she's been widely renowned for almost two millennia, we actually don't know many facts about her life.
[1:32] SPEAKER_00: Saint Cecilia is the pension saint of musicians, and she is often depicted in art with a harp, violin, or other musical instruments.
[1:41] SPEAKER_00: Our story today begins in a luxurious ancient Roman residence.
[1:46] SPEAKER_00: Saint Cecilia is preparing for her wedding to a pagan nobleman by the name of Valyrian.
[1:53] SPEAKER_00: Let's listen in and hear this wonderful saint come to life.
[2:26] SPEAKER_09: Thank you, Mother.
[2:27] SPEAKER_09: Thank you, Father.
[2:29] SPEAKER_10: My dear, why do you look so downcast?
[2:33] SPEAKER_09: I hope my disappointment is not mistaken for ingratitude.
[2:37] SPEAKER_09: Please understand that.
[2:39] SPEAKER_09: But you know, I desire to love Jesus with all of my heart.
[2:43] SPEAKER_09: I desire to sacrifice in a radical way for him.
[2:46] SPEAKER_07: Yes, but you can do that and still get married, Cecilia.
[2:50] SPEAKER_07: Marriage is a great sacrifice.
[2:53] SPEAKER_10: A great one indeed.
[2:56] SPEAKER_09: I know.
[2:57] SPEAKER_09: I simply desire to sacrifice in uh other ways, I suppose.
[3:03] SPEAKER_10: Cecilia, Valerian is a virtuous man.
[3:06] SPEAKER_10: He will support your love of Jesus.
[3:09] SPEAKER_10: He has no faith, I will admit, but at the very least, he knows that your faith is important to you, and he is willing to support you in it.
[3:18] SPEAKER_07: There are very few men in all of Rome, if any, who are so daring to go to such lengths for his bride.
[3:26] SPEAKER_07: Our faith is illegal, Cecilia.
[3:28] SPEAKER_07: Does that not account for something?
[3:30] SPEAKER_09: If he truly loved me, then he would allow us to be married in the catacombs where we can actually celebrate the sacrament of matrimony.
[3:39] SPEAKER_10: Cecilia, you know that Valerian's family could be killed if they were seen there.
[3:45] SPEAKER_10: And we cannot run the risk of outsiders knowing where we gather.
[3:49] SPEAKER_10: You received special permission to celebrate your wedding here given the circumstances.
[3:56] SPEAKER_09: I understand.
[3:59] SPEAKER_09: And I know Valerian is a good man, which makes this even more difficult.
[4:05] SPEAKER_09: My stomach is in knots.
[4:07] SPEAKER_07: Oh, come here.
[4:09] SPEAKER_07: Oh Cecilia.
[4:11] SPEAKER_10: We are proud of you.
[4:13] SPEAKER_10: Jesus is proud of you.
[4:17] SPEAKER_10: We will wait out here for you.
[4:28] SPEAKER_09: Jesus, my Lord and my God, I give you my life.
[4:34] SPEAKER_09: I surrender everything to you.
[4:36] SPEAKER_09: Though I willingly submit to my parents' wishes, I vow to be wholeheartedly yours.
[4:42] SPEAKER_09: I simply need you to make that happen.
[4:45] SPEAKER_09: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[4:49] SPEAKER_09: Amen.
[5:00] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia walked out of her dressing room and locked arms with her parents.
[5:05] SPEAKER_00: She looked down the aisle toward her future spouse, the pagan nobleman Valerian, and took a deep breath.
[5:15] SPEAKER_00: As she began walking down the aisle, musicians filled the luxurious residence with the customary Roman music.
[5:22] SPEAKER_00: Her mother squeezed her arm and her father gently winced.
[5:26] SPEAKER_00: The irreverent cacophony pulsated throughout the crowd.
[5:30] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia closed her eyes, and a hymn of love slowly filled her heart.
[6:29] SPEAKER_01: Help us love one another.
[6:32] SPEAKER_01: Proclaim freedom to cut this life to the child and mother cleanse in and shame.
[6:44] SPEAKER_01: We will do this in your name.
[7:06] SPEAKER_00: As the ceremony continued, Cecilia trusted that her prayers would not go ignored.
[7:12] SPEAKER_00: Peace and even excitement for what the Lord had in store consumed her heart.
[7:18] SPEAKER_10: I now pronounce you husband and wife.
[7:41] SPEAKER_00: Here we are! Finally home for the happy couple.
[7:47] SPEAKER_03: My dear, will you be accompanying me?
[7:50] SPEAKER_03: My dear?
[7:52] SPEAKER_03: Cecilia?
[7:55] SPEAKER_09: Oh yes.
[7:56] SPEAKER_03: Will you be joining me in your new home?
[7:59] SPEAKER_03: In in our new home, I should say.
[8:01] SPEAKER_09: Yes.
[8:02] SPEAKER_09: Yes, my apologies.
[8:04] SPEAKER_03: There we are.
[8:05] SPEAKER_03: Thank you again, sir.
[8:07] SPEAKER_03: The wedding just does still have a hold on her.
[8:09] SPEAKER_03: Have a good night.
[8:10] SPEAKER_03: Likewise good night.
[8:12] SPEAKER_00: Congratulations once more.
[8:17] SPEAKER_03: If I dared to be so bold, I would say that this home is um relatively spacious.
[8:23] SPEAKER_03: Quite nice, really.
[8:25] SPEAKER_03: Yes, quite nice.
[8:27] SPEAKER_03: Is it is it too nice?
[8:29] SPEAKER_03: Am I too extravagant for your liking?
[8:33] SPEAKER_09: Oh, yes.
[8:34] SPEAKER_09: I mean, no, no, it is just right.
[8:36] SPEAKER_09: You have done a wonderful job building it, Valyrian.
[8:40] SPEAKER_03: Something of a concern, my love.
[8:42] SPEAKER_09: No, uh, well, yes.
[8:44] SPEAKER_09: But not entirely, yet in a way, uh perhaps it could be.
[8:49] SPEAKER_03: I know you may not share my affections, but I know you will grow fond of me in due time.
[8:55] SPEAKER_09: Oh, Valyrian, I am quite fond of you.
[8:57] SPEAKER_03: It's just that um come, let us live and love and be deaf to the vile jabber of the ugly old fools.
[9:07] SPEAKER_03: The sun may come up each day, but when our star is out, our night is a very strong.
[9:12] SPEAKER_06: It shall last forever.
[9:15] SPEAKER_06: Catellus.
[9:16] SPEAKER_03: A masterful poet.
[9:17] SPEAKER_03: One of Rome's very best.
[9:19] SPEAKER_06: Some of the time.
[9:21] SPEAKER_03: Ha! Well, it certainly takes a poet to know a poet, I say.
[9:25] SPEAKER_03: Cecilia, come.
[9:28] SPEAKER_03: Let us live and love.
[9:30] SPEAKER_03: Let us be deaf to any concerns.
[9:32] SPEAKER_03: Tell me what you need, and I will promptly guarantee it.
[9:36] SPEAKER_09: Do you mean that, Valerian?
[9:38] SPEAKER_03: Well, I dare say I'm quite in love with you.
[9:41] SPEAKER_03: It's rather embarrassing, truly.
[9:43] SPEAKER_03: So, yes.
[9:46] SPEAKER_03: I mean that with all the strength my little heart can muster.
[9:49] SPEAKER_03: I shall grant you anything you wish.
[9:52] SPEAKER_03: It shall be my wedding gift to you.
[9:54] SPEAKER_03: Anything you ask of me.
[9:57] SPEAKER_09: Well then.
[10:01] SPEAKER_09: I made a vow to Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, that though I should marry you, I shall remain wholly dedicated to him and to his service.
[10:11] SPEAKER_03: Huh.
[10:12] SPEAKER_03: Yes.
[10:13] SPEAKER_03: Uh not not quite exactly what I was expecting you to say.
[10:17] SPEAKER_03: Well, um you know that I respect your beliefs.
[10:21] SPEAKER_03: That is quite noble of you.
[10:23] SPEAKER_09: And Ah, there's more.
[10:25] SPEAKER_09: And he has sent an angel to defend me to ensure that I remain his and his alone.
[10:31] SPEAKER_03: Huh, you see, it started out handsome enough, but then that.
[10:36] SPEAKER_03: That what you just said there, that is rather peculiar.
[10:41] SPEAKER_03: It's strange, really.
[10:43] SPEAKER_03: An angel to defend you.
[10:48] SPEAKER_09: Have you ever known me to lie?
[10:51] SPEAKER_03: No.
[10:52] SPEAKER_03: No, I suppose I have not.
[10:55] SPEAKER_03: This angel of yours.
[10:56] SPEAKER_03: Is he a handsome fellow?
[10:59] SPEAKER_09: He certainly is mighty.
[11:01] SPEAKER_03: Can I see him?
[11:02] SPEAKER_09: I have been instructed in prayer that you will indeed see him.
[11:06] SPEAKER_03: Well, this is great.
[11:08] SPEAKER_03: About what time shall I expect his arrival?
[11:10] SPEAKER_09: If you do a few things.
[11:11] SPEAKER_03: Ah, yes, there is more.
[11:13] SPEAKER_03: My apologies.
[11:14] SPEAKER_03: Do continue.
[11:15] SPEAKER_09: If you go to the catacombs and learn about my faith from Pope Urban, and if you are baptized into that faith, then you shall indeed see him.
[11:24] SPEAKER_09: You shall see him and even mightier things.
[11:27] SPEAKER_03: This is increasingly strange.
[11:28] SPEAKER_03: You do know that, right?
[11:30] SPEAKER_09: Oh, trust me.
[11:32] SPEAKER_09: I do.
[11:32] SPEAKER_03: Well then, a man is only as good as his word.
[11:36] SPEAKER_03: If I look like a fool, then it shall be in the name of love.
[11:39] SPEAKER_03: And if what you say proves to be true, then I shall honor your lord in the name of love.
[11:44] SPEAKER_03: If what you say proves to be false, well then that presents a slew of problems.
[11:52] SPEAKER_03: But we shall cross that bridge when we get to it.
[12:02] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia's new husband, Valerian, was good to his word.
[12:06] SPEAKER_00: He packed a small bag of belongings and set out for the Roman catacombs.
[12:12] SPEAKER_00: Once there, he found Pope Urban, one of the earliest popes, and told his holiness that he wanted to learn about the faith of his bride and be baptized.
[12:22] SPEAKER_00: Pope Urban happily obliged, and Valerian was baptized shortly after.
[12:28] SPEAKER_00: He couldn't wait to return home to tell Cecilia that he had followed through with her wish and to see if she had indeed told him the truth.
[12:51] SPEAKER_00: Upon entering his home, a bright and majestic angel stood over a kneeling Cecilia.
[12:58] SPEAKER_00: His brilliantly white tunic draped around his body and curled down to the floor.
[13:02] SPEAKER_00: With one hand, he gripped a strikingly large sword that glistened with a supernatural luster.
[13:08] SPEAKER_00: With the other hand, he crowned Cecilia with a coronet of white lilies and red roses.
[13:33] SPEAKER_09: Oh no.
[13:36] SPEAKER_09: Valyrian, hello?
[13:38] SPEAKER_03: Hello he was an angel.
[13:47] SPEAKER_09: Here, let me help you up.
[13:53] SPEAKER_03: I can't check on the happy couple.
[14:11] SPEAKER_04: What did he just say?
[14:13] SPEAKER_04: What did you just say, brother?
[14:15] SPEAKER_03: An angel.
[14:20] SPEAKER_03: I saw an angel.
[14:24] SPEAKER_04: What have you done to my brother?
[14:26] SPEAKER_04: Have you poisoned him?
[14:27] SPEAKER_04: Has he gone mad?
[14:29] SPEAKER_04: No! No, no, no, no.
[14:30] SPEAKER_04: He speaks the truth.
[14:34] SPEAKER_03: Look!
[14:35] SPEAKER_04: Look at her crown! Where did you find lilies and roses this time of year?
[14:44] SPEAKER_09: Do you have a minute?
[14:47] SPEAKER_04: Certainly.
[14:48] SPEAKER_09: Well, in the very beginning, God created us out of his sheer goodness.
[14:53] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia and Valerian shared their Catholic faith with Tibertius.
[14:57] SPEAKER_00: They also shared about Cecilia's vow to Jesus, the angel defending her, and Valerian's conversion to the faith.
[15:05] SPEAKER_00: Afterward, Tibertius was so moved that he was open to visiting the catacombs with Valerian and being catechized by Pope Urban.
[15:14] SPEAKER_00: Upon listening to Pope Urban's particulate teaching of the truths of Christianity, Tibertius was also baptized.
[15:22] SPEAKER_00: I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[15:31] SPEAKER_03: Amen.
[15:32] SPEAKER_00: The two brothers renounced their Roman pagan beliefs and, like Cecilia, made a commitment to serve Christ wholeheartedly.
[15:41] SPEAKER_00: Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
[15:46] SPEAKER_00: As time carried on, their mission grew clear.
[15:50] SPEAKER_00: They would share their faith with boldness as they would bury the Christian martyrs in the catacombs.
[15:56] SPEAKER_03: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
[16:03] SPEAKER_00: At the time, it was illegal to bury the martyrs, but the brothers believed wholeheartedly that everyone deserves the dignity of a proper burial.
[16:20] SPEAKER_02: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
[16:26] SPEAKER_02: May all the souls of the faithful departed.
[16:29] SPEAKER_04: To the mercy of God rest in peace.
[16:33] SPEAKER_03: Amen.
[16:35] SPEAKER_03: Quickly now, Tibatius.
[16:37] SPEAKER_03: We must return home before the dawn's rays remove the night's protection.
[16:47] SPEAKER_03: It is an honor working alongside you there.
[16:50] SPEAKER_03: Always get home safe.
[16:52] SPEAKER_04: Likewise.
[16:55] SPEAKER_04: Tabatius, jump into the bush.
[17:14] SPEAKER_10: Reveal yourself.
[17:30] SPEAKER_04: Give it one more moment.
[17:34] SPEAKER_03: I think we're in the clear.
[17:37] SPEAKER_04: We need to get out of here.
[17:39] SPEAKER_04: Did you grab the shovel?
[17:40] SPEAKER_04: The shovel?
[17:42] SPEAKER_04: Yes, the shovel.
[17:43] SPEAKER_04: Oh, right.
[17:45] SPEAKER_04: Right.
[17:46] SPEAKER_10: I thought I thought I left it over here.
[17:50] SPEAKER_10: Looking for this.
[17:52] SPEAKER_10: God, I found the suspect.
[17:57] SPEAKER_10: No, no, no, no, no.
[17:59] SPEAKER_03: No, take me.
[18:00] SPEAKER_03: No, it wasn't doing anything.
[18:03] SPEAKER_03: Just take me.
[18:05] SPEAKER_10: Off with the both of them.
[18:17] SPEAKER_00: Valerian and Tibertius were both arrested by the Roman authorities and summoned before the prefect of the city of Rome.
[18:25] SPEAKER_00: Tertius Almacius.
[18:28] SPEAKER_12: Silence! Silence! I will have silence.
[18:36] SPEAKER_12: Well, well, well.
[18:39] SPEAKER_12: Valerian antibertes.
[18:43] SPEAKER_12: Hmm.
[18:44] SPEAKER_12: Many years ago I certainly did not expect to find you two in here.
[18:51] SPEAKER_12: Certainly not for burying Christian scum.
[18:55] SPEAKER_12: But then again, I'm open to the idea that my gods here have got the wrong culprits.
[19:02] SPEAKER_12: Oh yes, I will happily entertain your testimony.
[19:26] SPEAKER_00: And looked out into the courtroom.
[19:29] SPEAKER_00: He locked eyes with Cecilia, who gently nodded her head, encouraging him onward.
[19:41] SPEAKER_03: Fear not, little brother.
[19:43] SPEAKER_03: The Holy Spirit will guide our words.
[19:46] SPEAKER_04: Let him have it.
[19:48] SPEAKER_03: Your Honor Tercius Almachius.
[19:51] SPEAKER_03: I could certainly stand here today and tell you that this was all a big mistake.
[19:57] SPEAKER_12: You certainly could, Valerian.
[20:01] SPEAKER_12: You could go right back to that beautiful home of yours.
[20:08] SPEAKER_03: But I shall not.
[20:13] SPEAKER_11: Silence! Silence, people, I said I said silence.
[20:22] SPEAKER_12: What do you mean you shall not?
[20:29] SPEAKER_03: I will not.
[20:31] SPEAKER_03: And I cannot.
[20:34] SPEAKER_03: Because it is true.
[20:36] SPEAKER_03: My brother and I have been burying the Christian faithful.
[20:42] SPEAKER_11: Silence! How many times must I repeat myself?
[20:46] SPEAKER_11: I said silence.
[20:53] SPEAKER_12: Do you stand by your brother's words?
[21:00] SPEAKER_04: Yes.
[21:01] SPEAKER_04: He speaks the truth.
[21:06] SPEAKER_12: Don't you understand when the gavel slams, I demand silence.
[21:11] SPEAKER_12: Otherwise, you can't leave my courtroom.
[21:16] SPEAKER_12: Now you do realize that I have given you an open floor here to simply say that you were not performing such an abysmal activity.
[21:27] SPEAKER_12: You do realize this, yes.
[21:29] SPEAKER_12: You do realize that what you have done now is punishable by death, do you not?
[21:35] SPEAKER_12: I give you the floor to renounce your Christian ideology and worship our Roman god Jupiter, the god of sky and thunder.
[21:48] SPEAKER_03: Your Honor, we will not.
[21:51] SPEAKER_03: And we cannot.
[22:00] SPEAKER_03: It is true that Jesus Christ was a man who walked among us.
[22:03] SPEAKER_03: It is true that he was both fully God and fully man, the word incarnate, the infinite choosing to dwell among the finite, the divine wedded to the flesh.
[22:16] SPEAKER_03: It is true that he grew up in the small town of Nazareth, the only son of the Virgin Mary.
[22:22] SPEAKER_04: Though we were sinners, and the wages of sin are death.
[22:26] SPEAKER_04: This Jesus of Nazareth loved us to the end.
[22:29] SPEAKER_04: In an act of ultimate love, he opened a path for us to reach God by giving his body and his life for us under a Roman crucifixion.
[22:39] SPEAKER_03: It is true that three days later, he rose from the dead, conquering death and its grip upon humanity.
[22:46] SPEAKER_03: All of you here before us.
[22:49] SPEAKER_03: It is true that through our baptism we have entered into this new divine life with Jesus of Nazareth.
[22:54] SPEAKER_03: It is true that even though you threaten us with death, we have already been submerged into the waters of death, only to rise again victoriously.
[23:05] SPEAKER_11: Silence!
[23:08] SPEAKER_04: It is true.
[23:10] SPEAKER_04: It is true that Jesus established a kingdom while on this earth through the church he left behind.
[23:14] SPEAKER_04: And we, Valerian and Tibertius of Rome, now reign in this kingdom by actively participating in this church, this otherworldly kingdom, and by allowing Jesus' divine life to flow through us.
[23:27] SPEAKER_03: It is true that Christ now lives through us.
[23:30] SPEAKER_03: It is no longer Tibertius and Valerian who live.
[23:33] SPEAKER_03: And because of this, it is true that your threat of death holds no power over us.
[23:39] SPEAKER_04: Death shall not have its last word with us.
[23:42] SPEAKER_04: Where, O death, is your victory?
[23:44] SPEAKER_04: Where, oh death, is your steam?
[23:47] SPEAKER_04: We are freed men, your honor.
[23:49] SPEAKER_04: So do with us what you will.
[23:52] SPEAKER_03: People of Rome, you too can be freed if you repent and turn your heart to Jesus.
[23:58] SPEAKER_03: We are victors.
[24:00] SPEAKER_03: May Jesus Christ be praised.
[24:03] SPEAKER_03: Now and forever.
[24:11] SPEAKER_11: Well, so you wish it, then so shall it be said from my sight.
[24:37] SPEAKER_00: The two brothers who had dedicated themselves to dignifying the martyrs ultimately gave their lives as martyrs in the end.
[24:46] SPEAKER_00: After their executions, Cecilia snuck into the Roman courtyard to take their bodies.
[24:52] SPEAKER_00: Blanketed by the night's darkness, she was able to sneak them back down into the catacombs and give them a proper burial.
[25:30] SPEAKER_06: And let perpetual light shine upon them.
[25:37] SPEAKER_06: Through the mercy of God, rest in peace, amen.
[25:42] SPEAKER_06: Well done.
[25:48] SPEAKER_06: I shall see you again.
[25:52] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia dedicated her time and energy to burying the Christian martyrs, working tirelessly to give everyone who sacrificed their life for Christ a proper burial.
[26:05] SPEAKER_00: Those around her were astonished at her fearlessness and untiring labor.
[26:11] SPEAKER_00: Hundreds of people, in fact, were baptized simply because of her witness to the Christian faith.
[26:20] SPEAKER_03: Over here! I found Cecilia! Look at how pretty she is.
[26:48] SPEAKER_09: True love loves until the very end.
[26:52] SPEAKER_06: Oh well that makes love seem difficult.
[26:58] SPEAKER_09: It may not always be pretty, but it is certainly always beautiful.
[27:05] SPEAKER_09: The more you sacrifice for others with love, the more you actually come alive.
[27:10] SPEAKER_09: Is that really true?
[27:12] SPEAKER_09: It is.
[27:14] SPEAKER_09: It's a mystery.
[27:16] SPEAKER_09: And when you begin to look more closely, it is most definitely true.
[27:22] SPEAKER_09: Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ?
[27:26] SPEAKER_09: No.
[27:27] SPEAKER_09: Well, maybe this will help it make more sense.
[27:30] SPEAKER_09: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God.
[27:35] SPEAKER_00: And the word was Cecilia was eventually caught for burying the Christian dead.
[27:45] SPEAKER_00: And just like her husband, she was sentenced to a trial before the prefect of Rome, Tercius Almachius.
[28:01] SPEAKER_12: Ah! Fool once! Shame on you! Fool me twice! Your family certainly does not have the greatest track record with me, Ms.
[28:20] SPEAKER_12: Nonetheless, I fancy myself a merciful man.
[28:23] SPEAKER_12: I shall gladly hear your testimony.
[28:27] SPEAKER_12: If you catch what I am saying.
[28:31] SPEAKER_12: Yes, your honor.
[28:33] SPEAKER_12: What I am saying, in case you do not understand, I will gladly dismiss you if you renounce your Christian beliefs.
[28:44] SPEAKER_09: I see.
[28:47] SPEAKER_09: Come, Holy Spirit, teach me what to say.
[29:03] SPEAKER_01: Wait, are you singing in my court?
[29:11] SPEAKER_01: Was with all things working through the darkness.
[30:30] SPEAKER_12: Well, the gods have certainly gifted you with a lovely voice.
[30:35] SPEAKER_12: Was that Cutilus whom you quoted?
[30:41] SPEAKER_09: No, that was John.
[30:43] SPEAKER_09: John the Evangelist.
[30:47] SPEAKER_12: I am not sure I understand your reference.
[30:51] SPEAKER_12: I don't believe I've ever heard of that particular poet.
[30:55] SPEAKER_12: Beautiful prose, though.
[30:59] SPEAKER_10: Your Honor, that is not a poet.
[31:02] SPEAKER_10: That is one of the major propagators of Christianity.
[31:08] SPEAKER_12: You come into my court and quote your Christian book to me.
[31:14] SPEAKER_12: How dare you! And what is it with you, Christians?
[31:19] SPEAKER_12: I made it abundantly clear that if you renounce this man whom you call Jesus, then I would surely spare you.
[31:26] SPEAKER_12: Now do it!
[31:30] SPEAKER_09: I cannot, Your Honor.
[31:32] SPEAKER_09: I cannot because the abundance of my life is found in Jesus.
[31:35] SPEAKER_09: In renouncing my faith, I would be accepting a death more drastic than the mere death of my body.
[31:41] SPEAKER_09: I cannot.
[31:42] SPEAKER_09: And I will not.
[31:45] SPEAKER_12: I don't know how many more times I can say this and set aside your delusions and worship the gods of the moon.
[31:56] SPEAKER_09: You are blinded, your honor.
[31:58] SPEAKER_09: What you call gods, we see as mere stones.
[32:03] SPEAKER_09: Touch them, and you will understand what eyes cannot see.
[32:19] SPEAKER_00: The guards tied Cecilia's hands up and shoved her into a large container of boiling water.
[32:25] SPEAKER_00: However, as her feet hit the water, her angel returned by her side.
[32:33] SPEAKER_00: Though the water appeared to be raging with fiery heat, it felt like a cool, refreshing bath for Cecilia.
[33:23] SPEAKER_01: We know you see us.
[34:18] SPEAKER_00: Upon hearing that his plans had failed, the prefect of Rome promptly ordered her execution.
[34:25] SPEAKER_00: Cecilia was martyred on November 22nd, around the beginning of the third century.
[34:31] SPEAKER_00: She died with three fingers extended on her right hand and one on her left, professing her faith in the Holy Trinity, even in her final moments.
[34:44] SPEAKER_00: Her legend quickly spread across Rome and across the entire Catholic Church.
[34:50] SPEAKER_00: In fact, Cecilia's name appears in the Roman canon of the Mass in Eucharistic Prayer One.
[34:56] SPEAKER_00: She is one of the seven women commemorated by name in this prayer.
[35:01] SPEAKER_00: And even though she is one of the earliest martyrs, her body was found to be incorrupt fifteen hundred years after her death.
[35:11] SPEAKER_00: The first of all incorrupt saints, thank you so much for listening.
[35:44] SPEAKER_00: After two years of production, we are thrilled to announce that Saint Alive has joined the team at Hallow, the number one Catholic prayer app in the world.
[35:55] SPEAKER_00: Hallow has supported us from the early days of our production and has cheered us on at every step of the way.
[36:01] SPEAKER_00: With the support of their incredible team, we will continue our monthly Saint episodes and create a brand new series in 2024.
[36:10] SPEAKER_00: We are so grateful for all of you, our listeners, and we can't wait for you to hear all that we have in store.

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