The Passion of the Holy Martyr Cecilia and the Holy Martyrs Who S

The Twenty-Second Day


of the Month of November

The Passion of the Holy Martyr Cecilia


and the Holy Martyrs Who Suffered With Her,


Valerian, Tiburtius, and Maximus

From The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints, Volume 3: November,


compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov

Translated into English and published by Chrysostom Press www.chrysostompress.org

The holy virgin-martyr Cecilia was born in Rome to
honorable and wealthy parents. Hearing the Holy Gospel preached, she
believed in Christ and resolved to preserve her virginity for Him, but
contrary to her will, her parents betrothed her to a noble youth, an
unbeliever named Valerian, and compelled her to array herself at all
times in costly apparel and golden ornaments. Beneath her rich
garments, however, she wore a rough hair shirt. Her heart burned with
love for Christ God, her beloved Bridegroom, and she ever entreated Him
with fervor of spirit that He preserve her chastity as He knew best,
keeping her free of the entanglement of wedlock. When her wedding day
arrived and the sound of piping could already be heard, she sighed from
a broken heart and cried unto the Lord, Let my heart be blameless in Thy statutes, that I may not be put to shame. Weeping bitterly, she besought Him to send an angel to defend her virginity.

After night fell, the newly wed couple was led into
their room, and the maiden said to her bridegroom Valerian, "Beloved
youth, I have a secret I wish to reveal to you. God’s angel, whom you
cannot see, has been given me as guardian of my virginity. If you touch
me, he will slay you at once, for he stands here ready to defend me,
his handmaiden, from assault."

Hearing this, Valerian was terrified, and with good
reason, because an angel had indeed been sent from heaven to preserve
Christ’s bride undefiled. Valerian asked the maiden to show him the
angel, but she replied, "You do not know the true God and will remain
unable to see the Lord’s angel until you are cleansed of the impurity
of unbelief."

"And how may I be cleansed of it?" asked Valerian.

Cecilia replied, "There is a man called Bishop Urban
who is able to cleanse the impious by Holy Baptism, thus enabling them
to see holy angels. If you wish to be washed clean and behold God’s
angel, go and relate to him everything I have told you. When he has
cleansed you, return, and you shall see the angel and receive whatever
you desire of him."

"Where can I find this elder?" asked Valerian.

"Take the Appian Way," replied the maiden, "and when
you come upon paupers, say to them, ’Cecilia sent me to you, asking
that you take me to the elder Urban. She wishes me to relate a secret
to him.’"

Valerian took the Appian Way, as his bride had
instructed him, and found paupers who knew Saint Cecilia well, for she
often gave them alms. They took him to Bishop Urban, who was hiding
from his persecutors in graveyards, caves, and deserted temples. When
Valerian told him what the holy virgin had said, the Bishop was filled
with joy. Falling to his knees and lifting his hands unto heaven, Urban
wept and said, "Verily, 0 Lord, Thy handmaiden is like a labour-loving
bee that bringeth nectar to Thy Church! This youth entered her chamber
like a lion, but she hath sent him to me a meek lamb. Had he not
believed her words, he would never have come here. Wherefore, 0 Lord,
open his heart to know Thee and to renounce Satan and his works."

After Urban had prayed thus, a venerable elder
appeared, clad in a robe white as snow and holding a book in his hand.
The elder stood before Valerian and opened the book for him to read.
Overcome by the vision, Valerian fell to the ground. Then the honorable
elder raised him up and said, "Read what is written in this book, my
son, and you shall be granted cleansing and behold the angel that your
bride promised to show you."

Valerian looked at the book and read these words, written in letters of gold, One Lord, one faith, one Baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is above all and through all and in you all. Amen.

The elder then asked him, "Do you believe, child, that these things are true, or do you still doubt?"

Valerian answered with a mighty voice, "Truly, there is nothing beneath heaven more certain than this confession!"

Immediately, the elder disappeared. Then the blessed
Bishop Urban began to instruct Valerian, expounding upon those words.
After baptizing him, the Bishop sent the young man back to his holy
bride.

Valerian found Cecilia at prayer, and beheld a most
radiant angel of ineffable beauty standing beside her. The angel held
in his hand two garlands made of red roses and white lilies, from which
came a fragrance surpassing description. He placed one garland on the
maiden’s head, the other on Valerian’s, and said, "Guard these wreaths
by keeping your hearts pure and your bodies undefiled. I have brought
them to you from God’s paradise. They never wither, nor do they lose
their fragrance, and no one can see them save those who, like you, are
lovers of chastity. It is because you have agreed to guard your purity
that God has sent me to you, Valerian. He wishes you to have your
desire."

Valerian bowed down before the angel and said, "There
is no one in the world so dear to me as my brother Tiburtius.
Therefore, I entreat the Lord to deliver him from demonic perdition and
to convert him as He did me. May He grant us both to attain perfection
in the confession of His holy name!"

"Your request is pleasing to God," said the angel, his
face radiant, "and He will grant you the desire of your heart. The Lord
will save your brother Tiburtius through you, as you were saved through
the maiden, and together you shall undergo martyrdom."

After saying this, the angel became invisible. The
blessed Valerian and the holy maiden rejoiced in Christ and continued
to meet and converse about things profitable to the soul.

Shortly thereafter, Tiburtius came to Valerian and
said to him, "I smell the fragrance of roses and lilies here. Where
does this wonderful smell come from? I find it so delightful that my
soul seems somehow renewed!"

"You can perceive this sweet fragrance, my beloved
brother," said Valerian, "because I have prayed to God for you, asking
that you be deemed worthy to receive an unfading crown and come to love
Him Whose blood is like a red rose and Whose flesh like a white lily."

"Am I dreaming, or are you truly speaking with me, brother?" asked Tiburtius.

Valerian replied, "Until now, we lived as though in a
dream, worshipping false gods and unclean demons; but now we walk in
the truth and the grace of God."

Tiburtius asked, "Who taught you these things?"

Valerian answered, "It was an angel of God that taught
me. You will also see him, if you cleanse yourself of the defilement of
idolatry."

Tiburtius wished to see the angel, but Valerian told
him it was necessary for him first to believe in the one, true God and
to receive Holy Baptism, and that after this he could expect the angel
to appear. The holy virgin Cecilia began to instruct Tiburtius in the
holy faith, demonstrating to him that the gods of the pagans are false
and their lifeless idols impotent, and revealing to him the might of
the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ. So powerful was the divinely wise
teaching of the holy virgin that Tiburtius straightway turned from
unbelief and cried, "I believe there to be no God other than that of
the Christians! From this time forth I desire to labor for Him alone."

When she heard this, the maiden was filled with
ineffable joy and instructed Tiburtius with even greater zeal, telling
him of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of His miracles, Passion,
and death, which He endured out of love for the race of man. Hearing
her speak of these things, Tiburtius’ heart grew contrite and was set
afire with love for the Lord. Sensing the warmth of his faith, the
virgin said to him, "If you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, go with
your brother to our Christian Bishop and be baptized by him. Then,
cleansed of your sins, you will be worthy to behold the angel."

Tiburtius looked at his brother in amazement and asked, "To whom do you wish to take me?"

"Let us go to the man of God, Urban," Valerian
replied. "He is the Bishop of the Christians, an old, wise, and
righteous man. His face is like that of an angel, and he speaks only
the truth."

"Is this the same Urban I have heard was twice
condemned to death and now is in hiding, hoping to escape his
sentence?" asked Tiburtius. "If we go to him and those who seek him
find us with him, they will slay us also."

Cecilia replied to Tiburtius’ words by telling him of
the life eternal and unchanging in heaven that awaits those who die as
holy martyrs for Christ. Then Tiburtius, burning with divine desire,
said, "Let those who have been deprived of their senses love this
fleeting life: I desire life eternal! Take me to the Bishop quickly,
brother, so that he may cleanse me and make me a partaker of
everlasting life."

Valerian took his brother to the blessed Urban and
told him everything that had occurred. Urban rejoiced greatly over
Tiburtius’ conversion and gladly baptized him, keeping him for seven
days to instruct him fully in the mysteries of the holy faith. After
his Baptism, Saint Tiburtius was deemed worthy of such grace that he
saw holy angels and conversed with them, and received everything he
asked of God. He and his brother worked numerous miracles, healing the
sick, and distributed their possessions among needy Christians,
orphans, and widows. Many were the prisoners whom they ransomed, and
they reverently buried a multitude of the holy martyrs who were slain
for Christ in those days.

All these things were reported to Almachius, the
Eparch of the city, who in obedience to the Emperor’s command was
mercilessly shedding the blood of God’s servants, torturing and
executing the faithful. The Eparch commanded that Tiburtius and
Valerian be seized and brought before him. Almachius asked them, "Why
do you dishonor your noble estate and give burial to those who, in
accordance with the Emperor’s command, have been put to death for their
numerous transgressions? So doing, you have squandered your wealth on
outcasts. Can it be that you have fallen into the same error as they?"

As the elder brother, Tiburtius answered, "May God
deem us worthy to be counted among His servants, who have renounced
that which seems to exist but does not, and have found that which would
seem not to exist but does!"

"What do you mean, speaking of what seems to exist but does not?" asked the Eparch. "I do not understand you."

Tiburtius explained to Almachius that everything this
transitory world possesses and promises merely appears to be, but in
reality is nothing, because it quickly vanishes. But the life to come,
which those who love this world imagine does not exist (for they cannot
see it), truly exists and abides unchanging unto the ages. At the end
of time the good and faithful shall receive a rich reward, but the evil
and unbelieving shall inherit eternal fire and torments. The Eparch
spoke with the brothers for a long time, and they offered him an
explanation of the holy faith and told him the value of renunciation of
the world. He did not accept their teaching, however, and demanded that
they offer sacrifice to the gods.

Since the saints refused to obey his command, the
Eparch ordered that Valerian be beaten mercilessly with a staff, but
the saint rejoiced and said, "The time I have awaited has come! Today
is my day of rejoicing!"

Meanwhile, a herald cried, "See and beware! Do not show disdain for the gods and goddesses!"

"Citizens of Rome," the holy martyr Valerian addressed
the people, "do not let the torments I suffer turn you away from the
truth! Make bold to destroy the idols of wood and stone, for all who
worship them shall burn in fire eternal!"

Then a senator named Tarquinius came to the Eparch and
said to him in secret, "If you do not hasten to put these men to death,
the other Christians will give to the poor everything they possess, and
nothing will remain for you."

The Eparch therefore ordered that both martyrs be
taken to the place called Pagus, near the temple of Jupiter. If they
did not consent to offer sacrifice there to Jupiter, the saints were to
be beheaded. A chamberlain named Maximus was sent with the executioner
and the soldiers to witness the beheading. On the way, he began to weep
as he looked upon the holy passionbearers and said, "0 precious blossom
of youth! 0 union of brotherly love! 0 comely pair of noble and
honorable youths! Why do you voluntarily choose death, hastening as
though to a great feast?"

Saint Tiburtius answered, "If we were not certain that
eternal life awaits us, we would not rejoice at the thought of losing
our lives in this fleeting world."

"What sort of life follows this life?" asked Maximus.

"As our flesh is covered by clothing, so our souls are
clad by flesh. After death, the body returns to dust, but in time like
a phoenix it will come to life. Moreover, if the soul is holy and
righteous, it is straightway translated unto the good things of
paradise, there to await the resurrection in joy."

Maximus was moved to compunction by these words and
said, "If I knew for certain that I would inherit the life of which you
speak, I also would renounce this fleeting life."

Saint Valerian said to the chamberlain, "If you wish
to be certain to gain life everlasting, then vow to us that you will
sincerely repent, turn away from error, and be converted unto the God
Whom we preach; and we promise you that when we are beheaded and depart
from the body, God will open your eyes, and you shall behold the glory
of the life we inherit."

"May I be consumed by fire if from this hour I do not
believe in the one God, Who grants us life eternal after this temporal
life," vowed Maximus. "I ask only that you fulfill what you have
promised."

"Order your servants not to hinder us from going to
your house and remaining there for a short time, and we will attempt to
bring to you someone who can enlighten your soul, so that you see
clearly that which we have promised you," said the saints.

Maximus joyfully led the martyrs to his home, for none
of the soldiers dared contradict his orders. There the saints preached
the word of salvation, teaching the members of his household to believe
in our Lord Jesus Christ. All those present listened attentively until
nightfall, and Maximus, his entire household, and many of the soldiers
came to believe. That night, the holy virgin Cecilia came to them,
accompanied by priests. Everyone who believed was baptized, and passed
the night in prayer and conversation about life eternal.

When the morning star appeared, the holy virgin said
to Christ’s passionbearers, "Be brave, 0 soldiers of the Lord! Darkness
has lifted and dawn has come; put on the garment of light and go forth
to complete your contest. You have fought the good fight and finished
your course; depart now to receive the crown of righteousness which the
Lord shall bestow upon you."

The saints hastened to the place of execution, and as
they passed the temple of Jupiter, the priests sought to compel them to
offer incense on the god’s altar, for no one was permitted to pass by
the temple without sacrificing. All those who entered or left the city
were stopped by the priests and led to Jupiter’s altar, but the martyrs
refused to obey, and mocked the priests’ foolishness. Because of this,
their sacred heads were promptly cut off.

Immediately after the saints’ execution, Maximus swore
before everyone present, saying, "I behold God’s angels shining like
the sun! They have taken the souls of the martyrs to heaven in great
honor, escorting their blessed spirits to a place of repose as though
they were fair maidens being led into a bridal chamber." At this, many
of the heathen believed in Christ.

The Eparch learned that Maximus had accepted the
Christian faith, and commanded that he be beaten mercilessly with rods.
While this was being done, the martyr surrendered his soul into the
hands of the Lord. His body was taken by the holy virgin Cecilia, who
buried it with the remains of the holy martyrs Tiburtius and Valerian.
She had the image of a phoenix depicted on Maximus’ tomb since he had
come to believe in the resurrection of the dead after hearing it
likened to the rising of a phoenix.

Later, the Eparch ordered that a search be made for
the possessions of Tiburtius and Valerian. Nothing was found, however,
because Saint Cecilia had already distributed everything to the poor.
He therefore sent his servants to seize the blessed maiden. When they
came to take her away, she said to them, "Hear me, brethren: although
you are servants of the Eparch, I do not think you find pleasure in his
unbelief. It is my desire to suffer and die for my Christ, and I wish
to have no further part in this fleeting existence, because I seek life
everlasting. Take me away, so that I may depart unto heaven more
quickly! Have no pity for my youth, but deliver me unto death!"

The servants felt compassion for the saint, marvelling
at how such a fair, wise, and noble maiden could so desire death. They
entreated her not to destroy her beauty by voluntarily accepting
torments, so she said to them, "I do not destroy my youthful beauty but
exchange it for something better, trading filth for gold, clay for
precious stones, and the worldly habitation of the body for the most
radiant palaces of heaven. Do you truly suppose this is a poor
exchange? If only you would make it also!"

Cecilia spoke for a long time about the reward that
awaits the righteous, and everyone who heard her was moved to
compunction. Indeed, a great multitude of people, both men and women,
had gathered in her house to hear her teaching. The saint then cried
out to all with a loud voice, "Do you believe that everything I have
told you is true?"

With one voice they replied, "We believe that the Christ Whom you preach and serve is the true God!"

The holy virgin was filled with unutterable joy and at
once sent for Bishop Urban, who came to her house and baptized the four
hundred men and women who had come to believe. Thus did Cecilia’s house
become a church of Christ.

After these things had taken place, the unjust Eparch
Almachius had Christ’s righteous handmaiden brought before his judgment
seat. He began by questioning her concerning the faith and heard her
preach the name of Christ. Then he said to her in a harsh voice, "Where
did you acquire such boldness?"

"From a pure conscience and undoubting faith," replied the saint.

"Do you not know, wretch, that the Emperor has given me power to destroy you or to grant you life?" asked the judge.

The saint answered, "You lie when you say that you
have power to grant life. You ought to have said only that you have
power to put to death, not to give life, for while you can slay, you
can give life to no one!"

The judge insisted, "Sacrifice to the gods and renounce Christ, and you will be set free."

But Cecilia declared instead that she was prepared to
die for Christ, so the persecutor commanded that she be taken to her
home and put to death in an overheated bathhouse. She was tormented by
the flames and smoke for three days and nights, but the grace of God
cooled and revived her. When Almachius learned that the martyr was
still alive after remaining so long in the blazing bath, he ordered
that she be beheaded by the sword. The executioner came and struck her
neck thrice but failed to sever her head. Leaving her thus, he
departed. The faithful gathered up her blood with a sponge and cloth,
and the saint remained alive for another three days, speaking plainly
and confirming the believers in the faith. Finally, while praying, she
delivered her soul into God’s hands and was buried with reverence.

On this same day we commemorate the holy martyr
Procopius of Cilicia, the holy martyr Memgnus the fuller of the colony
of the Hellespont, and our holy monastic father Agabbus the Ishmaelite.
We also commemorate the repose of the holy righteous soldier Michael
the Bulgarian and the murder of the holy, right-believing Great Prince
Michael Yaroslavich of Tver, who suffered at the hands of the godless
Tartars.