7 March, the Friday after Ash Wednesday

Readings — Is. 58:1-9; Ps. 51:3-4, 5-6, 18-19; Mt. 9:14-15.

Some Notes on Saints Perpetua and Felicity

1. Vivia Perpetua was a well educated young lady from a noble family in Carthage, Africa, now modern Tunisia. She lived during the Christian persecution of Emperor Severus in the 3rd century. Thanks to her own account, The Passion of St. Perpetua, St. Felicitas, and their Companions, completed by a Christian witness, we know more of today's Saints than through legends.

Despite the persecution, Perpetua decided in 203 to follow her mother and become a Christian. Fearing for her life, her pagan father tried to dissuade her. She was a young widow of 22 and was nursing a baby son. She had, therefore, many reasons to live. But she told her father, "I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am — a Christian."

2. Perpetua was arrested with Saturninus, Secundulus, and 2 slaves — Felicitas and Revodatus. Their instructor in the faith, Saturus, chose to share their imprisonment. Perpetua was baptized before she was taken to prison. She was known as a visionary and she received messages from God. The Lord told her to pray for endurance in the faith.

She faced many trials. She stayed in a crowded prison, suffered intense heat, pushing and shoving by cruel guards. She suffered the most pain of being separated from her baby. The young slave, Felicitas, suffered even worse. She was 8 months pregnant and the cruelty of soldiers did not spare her.

3. Her mother and brother were able to visit Perpetua and bring her baby to her. When her father tried again to persuade her, she said that it was not in her power but "in the power of God." The judge also failed to persuade her. Together with the others, she was sentenced to be thrown to wild beasts in the arena.

4. At prayer in prison, she had a vision of a ladder leading to heaven with the devil in dragon form scaring those who wish to go up. In the vision, she saw her mentor, Saturus, go up. From heaven he said to Perpetua that he will wait for her. She traveled up to heaven and saw an old shepherd who welcomed her. She told the vision to her brother, understanding that they must suffer.

5. Meanwhile, Felicitas was in torment. She feared that she would not become a martyr, because it was against the law to execute a pregnant woman. But 2 days before their execution, she endured painful labor, as she gave birth to a baby girl. The guards mocked her, saying that she would suffer more from the wild beasts. She responded that Christ would be suffering for her in the arena. Seeing the faith of those in prison, the warden later on became a Christian.