November 23 + Saint Felicitas of Rome

Felicitas reminds us, like so many other martyrs, that Christ said ... Follow me. He didn't say ... This will be easy. As Christians, we are promised peace in the presence of God if we follow the path to holiness. The path is often difficult, painful and heartbreaking as we carry our cross like Christ did. Felicitas understood that nothing in this world was worth renouncing her faith and giving up eternal peace. You may not find paradise in this life but you will find it in the next. But for the many who choose not to follow Christ, unfortunately, this life will be their only paradise.

Felicitas (also known as Felicity) was a wealthy and pious Christian widow who had seven sons. She devoted herself to charitable work and converted many to the Christian faith by her example. This aroused the wrath of pagan priests who lodged a complaint against her with Emperor Marcus Aurelius. These priests asserted the ire of the gods and demanded sacrifice from Felicitas and her children. The Emperor honored their demand and Felicitas was brought before Publius, the Prefect of Rome.

Taking Felicitas aside, he used various pleas and threats in an unsuccessful attempt to get her to worship the pagan gods. He was equally unsuccessful with her seven sons who followed their mother's example. Before the Prefect Publius they adhered firmly to their faith, and were delivered over to four judges, who condemned them to various modes of death. The division of the martyrs among four judges corresponds to the four places of their burial.

Felicitas implored God only that she not to be killed before her sons, so that she might be able to encourage them during their torture and death in order that they would not deny Christ. With joy, she accompanied her sons one by one until she had witnessed the death of all seven. Tradition holds that Januarius, the eldest, was scourged to death; Felix and Philip were beaten with clubs until they expired; Silvanus was thrown headlong down a precipice; and the three youngest, Alexander, Vitalis and Martialis were beheaded.

After each execution she was given the chance to denounce her faith. She refused to act against her conscience and so she too suffered martyrdom. They suffered and entered into eternal rest in Rome about the year 164.

Felicitas was buried in the catacomb of Maximus on the Via Salaria, beside Saint Silvanus. It is said that she died eight times ... once with each of her sons, and finally her own.