Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
In the first reading today, we hear of a family who had great courage in the face of tremendous pain. The second book of Maccabees tells us that seven brothers died for the sake of God and to keep His commands. Their mother witnessed the death of her sons, but she had great courage and hope in the Lord. Even though she underwent the pain of watching her sons perish, she must have been proud to know that her sons kept the commands of the Lord.
St. Cecilia, whose memorial we celebrate today, also endured great pain and even death. Even in her pain, she sang the praises of the Lord knowing that the earthly pain was nothing compared to the reward she would receive in heaven.
We hear of these great acts of faith, hope, and love, and it can be easy to think that we could never do anything like that. But it is easy to forget that God does not intend for everyone to die the way St. Cecilia or the seven brothers did. He calls us to sacrifice ourselves in different ways not always visible to everyone. We can make sacrifices of time, possessions, or anything else we have to give. Even something as small as smiling at another person can be a kind of sacrifice.
Like the nobleman in the Gospel reading, God gives us gifts in the form of talents and graces. We in turn share our gifts with one other. The more we use our gifts in this way, the more they grow like the servant who was given ten gold coins and made ten more by the time the master returned. The more we grow our gifts in God’s name, the greater our reward will be in heaven. It may not seem like it in the moment, but have faith and hope in God’s promise that you will be rewarded in Heaven.
Reflection by Collin, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections