Gospel: Luke 19:45-48
Then Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And he said to them, “God says in the Scriptures, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!” Jesus was teaching every day in the temple. The chief priests and teachers of the law wanted to kill him, and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to him and hanging on his words.

Reflections
“My house shall be a house of prayer.”
St. Cecilia was born to a noble family in the 2nd century and is one of the most venerated saints in Christian antiquity. She converted Valerianus her husband to Christianity and later his brother Tiburcius. They lived at the time of Christian persecution, but the three of them remained coura- geous children of the faith. They served the poor and took responsibility of burying the bodies of Christians who were persecuted and killed for their faith. Both Valerianus and Tiburcius also met martyrdom and not long after, Cecilia by a miraculous beheading kept her head attached to her neck.
Nothing in the life account of St. Cecilia mentioned about her connection to music. At best, this must have come from the line of a 5th century document about her martyrdom which states that “while the musicians played at her wedding, she sang in her heart to God.” Her being patroness of music was further strengthened when the Academy of Music in Rome was opened in 1548 where she was made its patroness. On the whole, this one outstanding woman of faith we should ask to inspire us courage in our own life of faith.

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