PRESENTATION TIDE, 327 



NOV. 2'2. St. Cecilia, virgin and mart. a.d.230. 

 St. Theodoret the Studite, abbot, 821. 

 SS. Philemon and Appia. 



Obs. Tlie nameofSt. Cecily (oilier wise and in Latin called Cecilia) lias ever 

 been illustrious in history, and ever since the (jrimitive ages is mentioned 

 witli distinction in the Canon of the Mass, and in the Sacramentaries and Ca- 

 lendars of the Church. She was a Roman lady of good and jiious family, and 

 was early converted to llie faith, and made a vow of virginity when very 

 young, but was forcibly compelled to marry Valerian, whom slie immediately 

 converted, together with liis brotherTihurtius and an officer named Maximus, 

 and they were all persecuted, and suffered martyrdom siiortly afterwards. 



St. Cecily is regarded as the patroness of music, and is represented by 

 Rafl'aele with a regal in her hand. Some part of the adoration of this saint 

 seems to have arisen from the tradition that she was skilful in the practice of 

 this delightful science, and that an anqel who visited her was drawn down 

 from the mansions of the blessed by the charms of her harmonious melody, a 

 circumstance to which Dryden has alluded in the conclusion of his celebrated 

 ode to Cecilia: 



Music the fiercest ^rief can charm, 



And fate's severest rage disarm ; 



Music caa softtn paiu to ease, 



And make despair and madness please : 



Our joys bfluw it can improve. 



And anted. tttt tin* bliss aboie. 



This the sweet Saint (Cecilia Ibiind, 



And to her Alaker's praise oonfintd the sound. 



When the full organ joins the tuneful quire. 

 The immoi'tal powers incline their ear; 



Borne on the swelling notes our souls aspire. 



While solemn airs infprove the sacred fire. 

 And angels lean from heaven to hear. 



At last divine Cecilia came, 



Invenlressof the vocal frame; 

 The sweet enthusiast from her sacred store 



Enlarged the former narrow bounds. 



To harmonious melodious sounds. 

 With nature's mother wit, and arts unknown before. 



St. Chrysostom elegantly describes the efTect of sacred music in kindling the 

 fire of divine love in the soul, and the constant useoi mu-.ic in the church 

 shews how much her pastors and bishops have approved of the same in all 

 ages. The effects of high mass are known to be powerfully inOuential on 

 some minds in exciting strong sentiments of devotion. St. Austin describes 

 its effect on himself shortly afier his conversion, and says also that the sweet 

 singing at the church did cause him to shed abundance of tears. The wretched 

 heretical puritans in this country tried to abolish church music, for It was 

 partof iheir plan to render religion gloomy; and traces of their influence are 

 still to be seen in the moping inelanclu^ly of a Sunday afternoon among certain 

 sectarians in England and in Holland; while it is the glory ot the mother 

 church to exhibit religion in all those foims of cheerfulness and gratitude 

 which ought to be raised in an innocent mind by the festive celebration of the 

 adorable mysleiies of Christianity. .A similar argument to that applied to 

 music may be used with respect to the splenilid paintings of sacred history 

 which adorn our larger Catholic chapels and cathedrals. The use of exter- 

 nals is not rightly understood bi people in general: Catholics alone know how 

 to value the powerful influence exercised on the mind by pious imagery 

 blended with suitable music. Milton, whose feelings were in so many 

 respects Catholic, has some good verses on this subject in his 11 I'cuscrosa. 

 Concerts were common on St. Cecilia's Day in the times of Uryden and of 

 Pope. 



Trumpetflowered Woodsorrel Oxalis tubifiora full fi. 



The above plant still decorates our greenhouse, and from its trunipetlike flower has 

 been called St. Cecilia's Flower. 



In the antient Breviaries are two beautiful hymns in Latin, which used to be, and in 

 some places are still, sung today ; one beginning Virglnls Proles ojjifexgue Mutris, and 

 the other Je^u Corona Virginuut, 



Many beautiful musical compositions have been made expressly for St. Cecilia's Day, 

 and for the great concerts usually held thereon. 



