St. Perpetua, Martyr

On the Catholic News Agency website, today they showcase the Saints St. Perpetua and St. Felicity. They were martyred around 202 for being Christians. Perpetua was from a Roman family, who's father was a pagan and who's mother was a Christian. Perpetua was thrown into prison and, despite her father's best efforts, would not give up her faith. She kept a journal of her ordeal.

In this journal, she documents her father's pleas for her to deny her Christianity. I found her statements interesting, in that, I remember my wife telling me "Catholicism isn't my denomination, it is who I am." Perpetua's conversation with her father shows a similar understanding:

"While we were still under arrest my father out of love for me was trying to persuade me and shake my resolution. 'Father,' said I, 'do you see this vase here, for example, or waterpot or whatever?'

'Yes, I do', said he.

And I told him: 'Could it be called by any other name than what it is?'

And he said: 'No.'

'Well, so too I cannot be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.'"

And later, in her diary, she has a vision of her eventual journey to Heaven. At the urging of her brother, she prays for a vision of whether she will be freed or condemned for her faith. She gets her wish and speaks of a path to heaven not unlike Jesus description... Jesus spoke of a path narrow to salvation and Perpetua's vision is similar:

"I saw a ladder of tremendous height made of bronze, reaching all the way to the heavens, but it was so narrow that only one person could climb up at a time. To the sides of the ladder were attached all sorts of metal weapons: there were swords, spears, hooks, daggers, and spikes; so that if anyone tried to climb up carelessly or without paying attention, he would be mangled and his flesh would adhere to the weapons."

At the foot of this ladder is a dragon, Satan, that would try to stop anyone before they were able to climb onto the ladder leading to salvation...

At the foot of the ladder lay a dragon of enormous size, and it would attack those who tried to climb up and try to terrify them from doing so. And Saturus (another martyr) was the first to go up, he who was later to give himself up of his own accord. He had been the builder of our strength, although he was not present when we were arrested. And he arrived at the top of the staircase and he looked back and said to me: 'Perpetua, I am waiting for you. But take care; do not let the dragon bite you.'

'He will not harm me,' I said, 'in the name of Christ Jesus.'

Slowly, as though he were afraid of me, the dragon stuck his head out from underneath the ladder. Then, using it as my first step, I trod on his head and went up."

Satan cowered at the power of Jesus and she used his head to step onto the ladder. What a perfect vision of subservience. When she reached to top of the ladder, she saw a vision of Heaven.

"Then I saw an immense garden, and in it a gray-haired man sat in shepherd's garb; tall he was, and milking sheep. And standing around him were many thousands of people clad in white garments. He raised his head, looked at me, and said: 'I am glad you have come, my child.'

He called me over to him and gave me, as it were, a mouthful Of the milk he was drawing; and I took it into my cupped hands and consumed it. And all those who stood around said: 'Amen!' "

She awakened from her vision, still feeling the lingering effects of her journey.

"At the sound of this word I came to, with the taste of something sweet still in my mouth. I at once told this to my brother, and we realized that we would have to suffer, and that from now on we would no longer have any hope in this life."

You can read her entire journal here.

I love her description of the path to Heaven... it is a narrow path, so narrow that only one person can journey it at time. It is a path guarded by Satan in an attempt to keep us from taking the journey. And, if during this journey, we are careless, the metal weapons surrounding the path will keep us from surviving it.

Powerful images and food for thought for all of us. Do we take our journey too carelessly? Is being a good person good enough? Will our faith be strong enough to push Satan aside on our path to salvation? Will we get distracted on our path and fall prey to the dangers on every side?

A tough journey, no doubt, but with a reward worth any discomfort we may feel, including at the cost of our own lives. Perpetua believed as such. And so should we.