A Lesson for Today from St. Cecilia

Have you ever known someone who was hired to do a job for which they were completely unqualified?

How St. Cecilia Got Her Job

Such is the case with the patron saint of musicians, a young woman named Cecilia who was born in the second century. 

There are different versions of the story, but most agree that she was born into a noble Roman family and became a Christian, desiring to maintain her virginity until the day she died.  This didn’t stop her parents from arranging her marriage to Valerian, a pagan man.

As it turns out, they married and she converted him to Christianity. Then they were both martyred.

As far as we know, she didn’t play an instrument and was not a gifted singer. There is this:

            But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher;

                        When to her organ, vocal breath was given,

            An angel heard, and straight appeared,

                        Mistaking earth for Heaven.                     John Dryden, 1687

Most people think John Dryden just made that up, but isn’t that a poet’s prerogative?

So how did St. Cecilia come to be the patron saint of musicians, with thousands of choirs named after her?

As her wedding ceremony began (like thousands of women being forced into a marriage she didn’t choose), Cecilia sang in her heart to God.

What Does Cecilia Have to Teach the Church Today?

In this time of Covid-19, many are concerned about what music will be like when we once again gather in our churches. Singing is an important part of worship. For Lutherans, assembly song is the primary vehicle of praise when we gather on Sunday morning – and just about any other time!

For some of us there will be no singing or music of any kind.  For others, soloists will sing the hymns. In some places, a pianist or organist might play a voluntary.

This is where we can take our cue from blessed Cecilia. We too can sing in our hearts to God.

When the organ swells, open the text and sing in your heart to God.

When a soloist opens her mouth to sing “Amazing Grace,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” or some other beloved hymn you know really well, sing in your heart to God.

While a guitar accompanies a melody played on the flute, sing in your heart to God.

As you gather with your community of siblings in Christ, sing in your heart to God.

This Is Not the End

Know this. We will not only sing in our hearts forever. Eventually the choirs will gather, the hymnals will come out, brass instruments will pierce the silence and we’ll lift our voices, together singing praise to God who reigns above – and it will be a foretaste of that day when we gather around the throne, joined with the angel throng, to sing, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”

What are the hymns you are really looking forward to singing? Please comment below!

Note: Cecilia’s day does not appear on the ELCA calendar of lesser festivals and commemorations, but other Christians observe her feast day on November 22^nd.

Paintings from Wikipedia
Credits in order:

By Raphael - Photo of art work made by Paul HermansDate: picture taken on 2012-04-26, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19285261

By Carlo Saraceni - Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15397726

By Orazio Gentileschi - scan of painting, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6516217