The illustrious martyrdom of these saints has been justly celebrated
by the holy fathers. It happened at Rome under the emperor Antoninus,
that is, according to several ancient copies of the acts, Antoninus
Pius.[90] The seven brothers were the sons of St. Felicitas, a noble
pious Christian widow in Rome, who brought them up in the most
perfect sentiments and practice of heroic virtue. After the death of
her husband she served God in a state of continency[91] and employed
herself wholly in prayer, fasting, and works of charity. By the
public and edifying example of this lady and her whole family, many
idolators were moved to renounce the worship of their false gods,
and to embrace the faith of Christ, which Christians were likewise
encouraged by so illustrious a pattern openly to profess. This
raised the spleen of the heathenish priests, who complained to the
emperor Antoninus that the boldness with which Felicitas publicly
practised the Christian religion, drew many from the worship of the
immortal gods who were the guardians and protectors of the empire,
and that it was a continual insult on them; who, on that account,
were extremely offended and angry with the city and whole state. They
added, that in order to appease them, it was necessary to compel
this lady and her children to sacrifice to them. Antoninus being
himself superstitious was prevailed upon by this remonstrance to
send an order to Publius the prefect of Rome, to take care that the
priests should be satisfied, and the gods appeased in this matter.
Publius caused the mother and her sons to be apprehended and brought
before him. When this was done he took Felicitas aside, and used the
strongest inducements to bring her freely to sacrifice to the gods,
that he might not be obliged to proceed with severity against her and
her sons; but she returned him this answer: “Do not think to frighten
me by threats, or to win me by fair speeches. The spirit of God
within me will not suffer me to be overcome by Satan, and will make
me victorious over all your assaults.” Publius said in a great rage:
“Unhappy woman, is it possible you should think death so desirable
as not to permit even your children to live, but force me to destroy
them by the most cruel torments?” “My children,” said she, “will live
eternally with Christ if they are faithful to him; but must expect
eternal death if they sacrifice to idols.” The next day the prefect,
sitting in the square of Mars before his temple, sent for Felicitas
and her sons, and addressing his speech to her, said: “Take pity
of your children, Felicitas; they are in the bloom of youth, and
may aspire to the greatest honors and preferments.” The holy mother
answered: “Your pity is really impiety, and the compassion to which
you exhort me would make me the most cruel of mothers.” Then turning
herself towards her children, she said to them, “My sons, look up to
heaven where Jesus Christ with his saints expects you. Be faithful
in his love, and fight courageously for your souls.” Publius being
exasperated at this behavior, commanded her to be cruelly buffeted,
saying: “You are insolent indeed, to give them such advice as this in
my presence, in contempt of the orders of our princes.”
The judge then called the children to him one after another, and
used many artful speeches, mingling promises with threats to induce
them to adore the gods. Januarius, the eldest, experienced his
assaults the first, but resolutely answered him: “You advise me to
do a thing that is very foolish, and contrary to all reason; but I
confide in my Lord Jesus Christ, that he will preserve me from such
an impiety.” Publius ordered him to be stripped and cruelly scourged,
after which he sent him back to prison. Felix, the second brother,
was called next, and commanded to sacrifice. But the generous youth
replied, “There is one only God. To him we offer the sacrifice of our
hearts. We will never forsake the love which we owe to Jesus Christ.
Employ all your artifices; exhaust all inventions of cruelty; you
will never be able to overcome our faith.” The other brothers made
their answers separately, that they feared not a passing death, but
everlasting torments; and that having before their eyes the immortal
recompenses of the just, they despised the threats of men. Martialis,
who spoke last, said: “All who do not confess Christ to be the true
God, shall be cast into eternal flames.”[92] The brothers, after
being whipped, were remanded to prison, and the prefect, despairing
to be able ever to overcome their resolution, laid the whole process
before the emperor. Antoninus having read the interrogatory, gave an
order that they should be sent to different judges, and be condemned
to different deaths. Januarius was scourged to death with whips
loaded with plummets of lead. The two next, Felix and Philip, were
beaten with clubs till they expired. Sylvanus, the fourth, was thrown
headlong down a steep precipice. The three youngest, Alexander,
Vitalis, and Martialis, were beheaded, and the same sentence was
executed upon the mother four months after. St. Felicitas is
commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on the 23d of November; the
sons on the 10th of July, on which day their festival is marked in
the old Roman Calendar, published by Bucherius.[93]
* * * * *
St. Gregory the Great delivered his third homily on the Gospels, on
the festival of St. Felicitas, in the church built over her tomb on
the Salarian road. In this discourse he says, that this saint “having
seven children was as much afraid of leaving them behind her on
earth, as other mothers are of surviving theirs. She was more than a
martyr, for seeing her seven dear children martyred before her eyes,
she was in some sort a martyr in each of them. She was the eighth in
the order of time, but was from the first to the last in pain, and
began her martyrdom in the eldest, which she only finished in her
own death. She received a crown not only for herself, but likewise
for all her children. Seeing them in torments she remained constant,
feeling their pains by nature as their mother, but rejoicing for them
in her heart by hope.” The same father takes notice how weak faith
is in us: in her it was victorious over flesh and blood; but in us
is not able to check the sallies of our passions, or wean our hearts
from a wicked and deceitful world. “Let us be covered with shame and
confusion,” says he, “that we should fall so far short of the virtue
of this martyr, and should suffer our passions still to triumph
over faith in our hearts. Often one word spoken against us disturbs
our minds; at the least blast of contradiction we are discouraged
or provoked; but neither torments nor death were able to shake her
courageous soul. We weep without ceasing when God requires of us the
children he hath lent us; and she bewailed her children when they
did not die for Christ, and rejoiced when she saw them die.” What
afflictions do parents daily meet with from the disorders into which
their children fall through their own bad example or neglect! Let
them imitate the earnestness of St. Felicitas in forming to perfect
virtue the tender souls which God hath committed to their charge, and
with this saint they will have the greatest of all comforts in them;
and will by his grace count as many saints in their family as they
are blessed with children.