Valerian, a Roman by birth and of a noble family, was
married to the blessed Caecila who was of equal nobility. By the advice of this
virgin he and his brother Tiburtius were baptised by the holy Pope Urban during
the reign of the emperor Alexander Severus. Almachius, the City Prefect, having
been informed that they had become Christians, had distributed their patrimony
among the poor and were burying the bodies of the Christians, summoned them
before him and severely rebuked them. Finding, however, that they persevered in
confessing Christ to be God and in proclaiming the gods to be but vain images
of devils, he ordered them to be scourged. But they were not to be induced by
this scourging to adore the idols of Jupiter. They continued firm in the
profession of the true Faith: they were, therefore, beheaded four miles out of
Rome. One of the Prefect’s officials named Maximus, who
had been appointed to lead them to execution, was filled with admiration at
seeing the courage with which they suffered, and professed himself to be a
Christian, as did likewise several other servants of the Prefect. Not long
after, they were all beaten to death with whips loaded with plummets of lead:
and thus, from being slaves of the devil, they became Martyrs of Christ our
Lord.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
Let us affectionately welcome the brave triumvirate of Martyrs presented today to our Risen Jesus by the Roman Church of the second century. The first is Valerian, the chaste and noble spouse of Caecila. He wears on his brow a wreath of roses and lilies. The second is Tiburtius, Valerian’s brother, and, like him, a convert of Caecila’s. He shows us the triumphant palm he so speedily won. Maximus is the third. He witnessed the combat and the victory of the two brothers, imitated their example and followed them to Heaven. The immortal Caecila is the queen of this holy group. She taught them to be Martyrs. She has a right to our remembrance on this day of their Feast. She herself shared in their privilege of being martyred during Paschal Time, but her Feast is not kept till November when we will find her imparting an exquisite loveliness to the close of the Liturgical Year.
For many centuries, the Church admitted none but secondary Feasts into the present Season, and this in order the more to concentrate the attention of the Faithful on the mystery of our Lord’s Resurrection. Hence the feast of Saint Caecilia which was formerly kept with a Vigil was deferred to a Season when it could be solemnised as it deserved. The Church now makes a commemoration only of our three great Martyrs.
* * * * *
Holy and precious fruits of the great Caecilia’s apostolate! We this day unite with the blessed Spirits in celebrating your entrance into the court of Heaven. You, O Valerian, were led to Faith, and to the sublimest of all virtues, by your noble spouse. You were the first to enter into the joy of the Lord. But in a few days your Caecilia followed you, and the love begun on Earth was made eternal in Heaven. Speaking of you and her, an Angel said that your Roses and Lilies should never fade. Their fragrance of love and purity is sweeter by far now than when they bloomed here below. You, O Tiburtius, brother of these two angels of Earth! You owe to them your beautiful Martyr’s palm. You are a sharer in their eternal happiness, and the three names Caecilia, Valerian and Tiburtius are to be for ever united in the admiration of Angels and men. The sight of the two brothers suffering so bravely for Christ inflamed your ambition, O Maximus, to imitate them. The God of Caecilia became yours. You shed your blood for Him, and He in return has put you in Heaven near Caecilia, Valerian and Tiburtius to whom, while on Earth, you were so inferior by birth and position. Now, therefore, O holy Martyrs, be our protectors and hear the prayers we address to you. Speak in our favour to the Immortal King for whom you so bravely fought and died. Ask Him to fill our hearts with His love, and make us generous like you. You despised this fleeting life. We, too, must despise it if we would share in the happiness you now enjoy — the sight of our Risen Lord. The battle we have to fight may, perhaps, be different from yours but the reward that awaits us is, like your own, everlasting. Rather than betray Christ, you laid down your lives. Our duty is the same. We must die rather than sin. Pray for us, O holy Martyrs, that our lives may henceforward be such as will honour this year’s Pasch. Pray, also, for the Church of Rome, your Mother. Her days of trial have returned. She has a right to count on your intercession for obtaining the help she needs.
Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
The feast of St. Justin, martyr, who is mentioned on the
thirteenth of this month.
At Teramo, St. Proculus, bishop and martyr.
Also St. Domnina, virgin and martyr, crowned with other
virgins, her companions.
At Alexandria, St. Thomaides, martyr.
The same day, St. Ardalion, an actor. One day, in the
theatre, while mocking the holy rites of the Christian religion, he was
suddenly converted and bore testimony to it, not only by his words, but also
with his blood.
At Lyons, St. Lambert, bishop and confessor.
At Alexandria, St. Fronto, an abbot, whose life was
adorned with sanctity and miracles.
At Rome, St. Abundius, resident sacristan of the church of
St. Peter.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors
and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
