No Power Over the Soul

Tuesday, March 7, 2028 · Lent

Saint of the Day
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (d. 203) were martyred in Carthage under the Emperor Septimius Severus. Vibia Perpetua was a young noblewoman and nursing mother; Felicity was her enslaved companion, pregnant at the time of their arrest. Perpetua's prison diary is one of the earliest surviving writings by a Christian woman. They were condemned to face wild beasts in the arena and were finally killed by the sword. They are mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass and are among the most celebrated early martyrs of Africa.

Scripture Reading

Acts 7:55-56

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Reflection
Stephen and the martyrs of Carthage — Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions — shared this: at the moment of greatest human helplessness, heaven opened and Christ was present. The arena could take their lives but could not touch their vision. When we face what seems too hard, the saints remind us that endurance is not willpower but sight — seeing what Stephen saw, and knowing who is standing there.
Prayer for Today
Lord, I give you (name) and thank you for them. I thank you for everything that they are And for all their gifts and talents. I thank you for the many things that they have given to others And for all the kindness that they have shown me. Lord, at the
beginning of time You breathed Your life into creation May you breathe Your life into them now So that each step they take is filled with Your faith Each thought they think is filled with Your hope and each moment they
live is filled with Your love. May they fully know Your life And fully live in Your love This day and every day Amen

Amen.