Page 9 - StCecilia

Onsite visit

had won her crown. For one moment, the crowd subsided. The
dying virgin was about to receive the visit of Saint Urban, who, as
we have said, had been concealed in the palace for several days.
Until the present moment, prudence had prevented the venerable
old man from approaching the martyr, who was awaiting his visit,
before taking her flight to heaven. She wished to receive the bless-
ing of the Father of the faithful, and to consign to his hands the
only inheritance which she left. The Pontiff entered the bath-room,
and was deeply moved at beholding his beloved daughter extend-
ed like a lamb offered in sacrifice, upon the altar, inundated with
her blood.
Cecilia gazed at him with ineffable sweetness and joy. "Father,"
she said, "I asked this delay of three days, from our Lord, that I
might place in the hands of your Beatitude, 6 my last treasure, the
poor whom I feed and who will miss me. I also bequeath to you
this house in which I have lived, that you may consecrate it as a
church, and that it may become the temple of the Lord forever. 7
After these words, the virgin thought only of preparing her soul to
meet its Spouse. She thanked Christ, that He had deigned to
associate her to the glory of the athletes, and had crowned her with
a wreath composed of the roses of martyrdom, twined with the
lilies of virginity. The heavens were already opened to her eyes,
and a moment of faintness announced that her last hour was
approaching. She was lying upon her right side, in an attitude of
virginal modesty. At the last moment, her arms fell by her side,
and, turning her face against the ground so that none could wit-

6 Respecting the antiquity of this title given to the Roman Pontiff, many
examples may be found in letters addressed to the Pope from the East and
the West throughout the fourth century. Such uniformity at this time, proves
that the custom dated still farther back. Among other letters, may be seen
those from the Orientals to Saint Julius, those of Saint Athanasius and the
Bishops of Egypt to the same Pontiff, those of Saint Jerome and of Aurelius
of Carthage to Saint Damasus, and so forth.
7 See Acta S. Caecilae: “Sancto Urbano Papa dixit: Adhuc triduanas mihi propo-
sci inducias, ut et istos tuse Beatitudini traderem quos nutrivi, et hanc domum
meam in aeternum Ecclesia nomini consacrares.”

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