Lives Of The Saints
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Feast Day: March 7 | Patron Saint Of: Mothers, Expectant Mothers, Ranchers and Butchers
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were Christian martyrs who lived during the
early persecution of the Church in Africa by the Emperor Severus.
With
details concerning the lives of many early martyrs unclear and often
based on legend, we are fortunate to have the actual record of the
courage of Perpetua and Felicity from the hand of Perpetua herself, her
teacher Saturus, and others who knew them. This account, known as "The
Passion of St. Perpetua, St. Felicitas, and their Companions," was so
popular in the early centuries that it was read during liturgies.
In
the year 203, Vivia Perpetua, a well-educated noblewoman, made the
decision to follow the path of her mother and become a Christian,
although she knew it could mean her death during the persecutions
ordered by the Emperor Severus. Her surviving brother (another brother
had died when he was seven) followed her leadership and became a
catechumen as well, meaning he would receive instruction from a
Catechist in the Catholic Christian faith and be prepared for Baptism.
Her
pagan father was frantic with worry and tried to talk her out of her
decision. At 22-years-old, the well-educated, high-spirited woman had
every reason to want to live -- including a baby son whom she was still
nursing. We know she was married, but since her husband is never
mentioned, many historians assume she was already a widow.
Perpetua's
answer was simple and clear. Pointing to a water jug, she asked her
father, "See that pot lying there? Can you call it by any other name
than what it is?"
Her father answered, "Of course not." Perpetua
responded, "Neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am
-- a Christian."
This answer upset her father and
he attacked her. Perpetua reports that after that incident she was glad
to be separated from him for a few days -- even though that separation
was the result of her arrest and imprisonment.
Perpetua
was arrested with four other catechumens, including two slaves,
Felicity and Revocatus, and Saturninus and Secundulus. Their instructor
in the faith, Saturus, chose to share their punishment and was also
imprisoned.
Perpetua was baptized before taken
to prison. She was known for her gift of "the Lord's speech" and
receiving messages from God. She tells us that at the time of her
baptism she was told to pray for nothing but endurance in the face of
her trials.
The prison was so crowded with
people that the heat was suffocating. There was no light anywhere and
Perpetua "had never known such darkness."
The soldiers who
arrested and guarded them pushed and shoved them without any concern.
Perpetua had no trouble admitting she was very afraid, but during all
this horror, her most excruciating pain came from being separated from
her baby.
The young slave, Felicity was even worse
off, for Felicity suffered the stifling heat, overcrowding, and rough
handling while being eight months pregnant.
Two deacons who
ministered to the prisoners paid the guards to place the martyrs in a
better part of the prison. There, her mother and brother were able to
visit Perpetua and bring her baby to her.
When she
received permission for her baby to stay with her she recalled, "my
prison suddenly became a palace for me." Once more her father came to
her, begging her to give in, kissing her hands, and throwing himself at
her feet. She told him, "We lie not in our own power but in the power of
God."
When she and the others were taken to be examined and
sentenced, her father followed, pleading with her and the judge. The
judge, out of pity, also tried to get Perpetua to change her mind, but
when she stood fast, she was sentenced with the others to be thrown to
the wild beasts in the arena.
Perpetua recanted
how her brother spoke to her, "Lady sister, you are now greatly honored,
so greatly that you may well pray for a vision to show you whether
suffering or release is in store for you." Perpetua, who spoke to the
Lord often, told her brother she would tell him what happened the next
day.
While she prayed, Perpetua was shown a golden ladder of the
highest length, reaching up to heaven. On the sides of the ladder were
swords, lances, hooks and daggers so that if anyone did not climb
looking up on Heaven, they would be severely injured. At the bottom of
the ladder laid a large dragon to try to scare those journeying up away
from Heaven.
Perpetua first saw Saturus go up.
After he reached the top of the ladder he said, "Perpetua, I wait for
you, but take care that the dragon does not bite you." To which she
replied, "In the name of Jesus Christ, he will not hurt me," and the
dragon put his down his head.
Perpetua traveled up the ladder and
saw a beautiful vast garden with a tall man with white hair dressed like
a shepherd and milking sheep. 'Thou art well come, my child," he said
to Perpetua, giving her some of the curds from the milk. She ate and all
those around her said, "Amen."
Perpetua woke
from her dream with a sweet taste still in her mouth. At once, she told
her brother what happened and together, they understood they must
suffer.
Meanwhile, Felicity was also in torment. It was against the
law for pregnant women to be executed. To kill a child in the womb was
shedding innocent and sacred blood. Felicity was afraid that she would
not give birth before the day set for their martyrdom and her companions
would go on their journey without her. Her friends also didn't want to
leave so "good a comrade" behind.
Two days before
the execution, Felicity went into a painful labor. The guards made fun
of her, insulting her by saying, "If you think you suffer now, how will
stand it when you face the wild beasts?" Felicity answered them calmly,
"Now I'm the one who is suffering, but in the arena, another will be in
me suffering for me because I will be suffering for him."
She gave birth to a healthy girl who was adopted and raised by one of the Christian women of Carthage.
The
officers of the prison began to recognize the power of the Christians
and the strength and leadership of Perpetua. In some cases, this helped
the Christians: the warden let them have visitors -- and later became a
believer. But in other cases, it caused superstitious terror, as when
one officer refused to let them get cleaned up on the day they were
going to die for fear they'd try some sort of spell.
Perpetua
immediately spoke up, "We're supposed to die in honor of Ceasar's
birthday. Wouldn't it look better for you if we looked better?" The
officer blushed with shame at her reproach and started to treat them
better.
There was a feast the day before the
games, so that the crowd could see the martyrs and make fun of them. But
the martyrs turned this all around by laughing at the crowd for not
being Christians and exhorting them to follow their example.
The
four new Christians and their teacher went to the arena (the fifth,
Secundulus, had died in prison) with joy and calm. Perpetua in usual
high spirits met the eyes of everyone along the way. We are told she
walked with "shining steps as the true wife of Christ, the darling of
God."
When those at the arena tried to force Perpetua and the rest
to dress in robes dedicated to their gods, Perpetua challenged her
executioners. "We came to die out of our own free will so we wouldn't
lose our freedom to worship our God. We gave you our lives so that we
wouldn't have to worship your gods." She and the others were allowed to
keep their clothes.
The men were attacked by
bears, leopards, and wild boars. The women were stripped to face a rabid
heifer. The two were thrown out and attacked, but the crowd cried out
they had had enough. The women were removed and clothed again. Perpetua
and Felicity were thrown back into the arena to face the gladiators.
Perpetua
called out to her brother and other Christians, "Stand fast in the
faith, and love one another. Do not let our sufferings be a stumbling
block to you."
Perpetua and Felicity stood side by side and were killed by sword at Carthage in the Roman province of Africa.
Sts.
Perpetua and Felicity are the patron saints of mothers, expectant
mothers, ranchers and butchers. Their feast day is celebrated on March 7
In Their Footsteps:
Perpetua
said that she couldn't call herself any other name but Christian. Write
down a list of names and designations that people could call you. Is
Christian high on that list? How can you help make your name as
Christian be more important? Live today as if that was the only name you
could be called by.
Prayer:
Saints
Perpetua and Felicity, watch over all mothers and children who are
separated from each other because of war or persecution. Show a special
care to mothers who are imprisoned and guide them to follow your example
of faith and courage. Amen
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