Orthodox Icon of St. Cecilia

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November 22nd
Troparion (Tone 3)
By the radiance of thy holy life thou didst draw the two brothers united in spirit into the Eternal Light. O Cecilia, as fellow-contestants you were counted worthy of divine glory. Ask that we who praise you may receive the forgiveness of our sins.

Cecilia was of the Roman nobility, but had a zealous faith in Jesus Christ. She vowed to remain a virgin in devotion to Christ and always wore a hair shirt under the fine clothes her parents provided. They forced her to marry a pagan named Valerian. During the festivities of the marriage, she sat alone reciting the Psalms and making music in her heart to the Lord. She spent that night persuading her husband not only to respect her vow, but to embrace Christianity and to take a similar vow himself. They were crowned by angels with roses and lilies that only those with faith in Christ could see and smell. Valerian in turn led his brother Tibertius to faith and they were baptized by Bishop Urban. Not long after they were martyred for practising their faith publicly. On the way to their death, they converted Maximus, the captain of the guard, to faith in Christ, and he joined them in martyrdom. St. Cecilia buried their bodies and openly preached Christ. One night, she led 400 pagans to renounce idolatry and follow Christ. For this, she was sentenced to be beheaded. The executioner's sword came down on her neck three times, but only wounded her. She reposed in the Lord three days later. She and the others suffered about the year 230. She is considered the patron saint of church music, and sometimes called "the sweet-singing"; but she played no instruments and wrote no hymns. But her life and ministry were sustained by the music of the Psalms in her heart.

This icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas. This icon is one of the "cloud of witnesses" at St. Philip's Antiochian Orthodox Church, Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Order #phn-42