Saints Perpetua and Felicity
Saint of the Day for March 7
Posted from FranciscanMedica.org
Saints Perpetua and Felicity’s Story
“When my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vessel—waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am—a Christian.’”
So writes Perpetua: young, beautiful, well-educated, a noblewoman of Carthage in North Africa, mother of an infant son and chronicler of the persecution of the Christians by Emperor Septimius Severus.
Perpetua’s mother was a Christian and her father a pagan. He continually pleaded with her to deny her faith. She refused and was imprisoned at 22.
In her diary, Perpetua describes her period of captivity: “What a day of horror! Terrible heat, owing to the crowds! Rough treatment by the soldiers! To crown all, I was tormented with anxiety for my baby…. Such anxieties I suffered for many days, but I obtained leave for my baby to remain in the prison with me, and being relieved of my trouble and anxiety for him, I at once recovered my health, and my prison became a palace to me and I would rather have been there than anywhere else.”
Despite threats of persecution and death, Perpetua, Felicity–a slavewoman and expectant mother–and three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus and Saturninus, refused to renounce their Christian faith. For their unwillingness, all were sent to the public games in the amphitheater. There Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, and the others killed by beasts.
Felicity gave birth to a girl a few days before the games commenced.
Perpetua’s record of her trial and imprisonment ends the day before the games. “Of what was done in the games themselves, let him write who will.” The diary was finished by an eyewitness.
Persecution for religious beliefs is not confined to Christians in ancient times. Consider Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who with her family, was forced into hiding and later died in Bergen-Belsen, one of Hitler’s death camps during World War II. Anne, like Perpetua and Felicity, endured hardship and suffering and finally death because she committed herself to God. In her diary, Anne writes, “It’s twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst side, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God.”
Saint Felicity is the Patron Saint of:
Widows, Mothers of Deceased Sons.
"Mtakatifu Perpetua na Felicity, Mtakatifu wa Machi 7 ""Mtakatifu Perpetua na Felicity"" ""Wakati baba yangu katika shauku yake kwa ajili yangu alikuwa kujaribu kugeuka mimi kutoka lengo langu na hoja na hivyo kudhoofisha imani yangu, Mimi nilimwambia, ""Je, unaona chombo hiki?" Je, linaweza kuitwa kwa jina lingine lolote isipokuwa lile linalokuwa? <unk> <unk>Hapana,<unk> alijibu. "Kwa hiyo, pia, siwezi kujiita kwa jina lingine lolote ila lile nililo - Mkristo."" - Perpetua, mwanamke mchanga, mrembo, mwenye elimu, mwanamke mashuhuri wa Carthage, Afrika Kaskazini, mama ya mtoto mchanga, na mwandishi wa maandishi ya mateso ya Wakristo na Maliki Septimius Severus." Mama ya Perpetua alikuwa Mkristo na baba yake alikuwa mpagani. Alimsihi mara kwa mara akatae imani yake. Alikataa na akafungwa gerezani akiwa na umri wa miaka 22. Katika kitabu chake cha kumbukumbu, Perpetua anaeleza kipindi alichotumikia akiwa mfungwa: <unk>Ni siku yenye kuogopesha kama nini! Joto kali sana, kwa sababu ya umati wa watu! Matumizi mabaya ya askari-jeshi! Kwa kuongezea, nilikuwa na wasiwasi sana kuhusu mtoto wangu.... "Nilikuwa na wasiwasi kama huo kwa siku nyingi, lakini nilipata ruhusa ya kumweka mtoto wangu gerezani pamoja nami, na kwa kuwa niliondolewa shida na wasiwasi wangu kwa ajili yake, mara moja nilipata afya yangu, na gereza langu likawa jumba la kifalme kwangu na ningependa kuwa huko kuliko mahali pengine popote. ""Licha ya vitisho vya mateso na kifo, Perpetua, Felicity, mtumwa na mama mwenye mimba, na wenzake watatu, Revocatus, Secundulus na Saturninus, walikataa kukataa kukataa imani yao ya Kikristo." Kwa sababu ya kutokuwa tayari, wote walipelekwa kwenye michezo ya umma katika ukumbi wa michezo. Huko Perpetua na Felicity waliuawa kwa kukatwa vichwa, na wengine wakauawa na wanyama. Felicity alizaa msichana siku chache kabla ya michezo kuanza. Rekodi ya Perpetua ya kesi yake na kifungo chake inamalizika siku moja kabla ya michezo. <unk>Kuhusu kile kilichotendeka katika michezo yenyewe, acheni aandike nani atakayependa.<unk> Jarida hilo lilimalizika na shahidi wa tukio. Mateso kwa sababu ya imani ya kidini hayakuwa ya Wakristo tu katika nyakati za kale. Anne Frank alikuwa Myahudi aliyehamishwa na familia yake na kufungwa katika kambi ya Bergen-Belsen, iliyokuwa mojawapo ya kambi za kifo za Hitler wakati wa Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Ulimwengu. Anne, kama vile Perpetua na Felicity, alivumilia magumu na mateso na hatimaye kifo kwa sababu alijitolea kwa Mungu. "Katika kitabu chake cha kumbukumbu, Anne anaandika: ""Ni vigumu mara mbili kwa vijana wetu kushikilia msimamo wetu, na kudumisha maoni yetu, katika wakati ambapo maadili yote yanaharibiwa na kuharibiwa, wakati watu wanaonyesha upande wao mbaya zaidi, na hawajui kama kuamini katika ukweli na haki na Mungu. """