Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

38 L YDIA.
or a pair of palm branches, or a ship in full sail. On many of
Libs the initials of our Lord's name could be seen.
. hud already gone through several of these subterranean
when at length the sound of music fell upon their
ears. Furl her on, the space widened, and a subterranean
church, lighted up with lamps and wax lights, opened to their
view. The length of the church was considerable, and contained
two divisions, one for the clergy and men, the other for the
females.
At the conclusion of the singing, an aged priest advanced towards
the altar, and turning from the people, commenced the
divine sacrifice. The arrangements of the prayers were for the
most part then, as they are now. After the holy sacrifice, a great
number of those present retired to an adjacent hall, to hand to
the Bishop charitable gifts, or to consult on the affairs of the
faithful. Lydia had looked round in vain to see if her mother
were among the number of those present. Felicitas turned to
one of the Deacons, and begged his permission to speak to the
aged priest who had just celebrated Mass, Her request was
granted, and she informed him that a Christian from Smyrna had
arrived in search of her mother, who was also a Christian, and
named Charitana. and after whom she had up to the present,
made fruitless inquiries At this, joy and pain were alike de-
picted on the priest's countenance, for he doubted not being able
to give the information she required. The young stranger
stood motionless before him. Her eye anxiously fixed upon
every movement of his lips. She expected that the thousand
conjectures which had so often 'harassed her mind were now
about to be confirmed. "O thou happy child! " said the old
man, " happy in having been in the school of St. Polycarp, and
threefold happy, because thou art the daughter of a Saint! "
His voice began to falter which Felicitas perceiving, under-
stood at once what was to follow, aud turned aside to conceal
her emotion. Lydia did not understand the meaning of his words,
her heart beat violently as the old man rose and motioned to them
to follow him They went through long passages that crossed
each other at intervals, till they came to one somewhat wider;
nere the priest stood still. He brushed away a tear, and mo-
tioned to Lydia to approach. With deep emotion he drew her
attention to a square stone, upon which the light of the torch
fell, and helped her to perceive though indistinctly, the name of
her beloved mother.
" Charitana the martyr lies here, as a Saint among the Saints.
She died on the Ides of April. Rejoice in the Lord and pray
for us! "
Lydia read the inscription and turned with a look full of vague
sorrow towards Felicitas. Her eyes betrayed a doubt as to
whether she was not mistaken and ;
looking at her friend, she
suddenly uttered a loud scream that echoed through the vaults,
and cast herself convulsively into the arms of Felicitas where
she remained motionless for some minutes. At last she began
to realize her position. She was standing at the grave of her
mother, Charitana; in that very hour in which she had hoped to
find her living, she had found her tomb. A phial of the mar-
tyr's blood stood near the slab. What hast thou not to suffer
much tried daughter, before thy body sinks beneath the burden
of thy trials! Thou earnest from Athens to Rome to seek thy
long lost mother, and thou hast found nothing but her tomb.
O! that thou also couldst rest here in peace! Faith and affection
struggled within her, affection grieved nt not having her beloved
mother on earth, but Faith rejoiced at her triumph. The hitter
conquered and the daughter sank upon her knees and pressed her
hands on the stone that covered the remains of all she held most
dear. Many and strong were the feelings that agitated her heart
sorrow and pity struggled for mastery, but the joy that the de-
parted one had gained the crown of Martyrdom, silenced every
million. At that time, as well as now, a lively faith penetrated
hearts of the believers, and the separation between the living
and the dead did not appear so dreadful. Fervent Christians
r-idered a good death as the greatest gift from God, and what
can any one wish for those be loves, more than the possession
of the highest of all gifts. God Himself I
Therefore, great as Lydia's joy would have been, had shefoun-l
her mother amongst the living, still she was no less dil
that she had suffered death for the Faith, by which she h
cured the immediate possession of God. Charitana as we Imvu
already related, was shipped for Rome on the night of the earthquake
of Smyrna, and was there purchased by a former Prelect
As long as the persecution was quiet, Cresentius would not betray
that she was a Christian.
The philosopher Justin wrote a letter of defence about this
time, and addressed it to Marc us Aureliug and the Senate. Soon
after he was cast into prison, together with several other Chris
tians. Cresentius, in order to ingratiate him'self with the Proconsul
Rusticus, sent his slave Charitana to him, telling him
that he might do with her what he liked. The Proconsul ord-
ered Charitana, whose strength was already greatly impaired by
anxiety, to be sent to the same prison with the other Christians.
When Justin with six of his companions in the Faith was brought
before the Judge, he commenced speaking, and declared openly
and frankly that they would preserve their Faith to their last
breath. To offer sacrifice to the gods as the Emperor had com
manded, Justin held to be in opposition to the commands of the
Redeemer. Rusticus questioned him as to what sort of learning
occupied him. Justin gave the answer that is to be found in the
acts of martyrdom, "I exerted myself to attain knowledge of
all sorts but as I could not therein find the truth, I at last devoted
myself to Christian philosophy, although it displeases those who
allow themselves to be blinded by errors and prejudice. I glory in
it, because it has afforded me the advantage of walking in the
way of truth."
When asked by the Prefect about the place where the Christians
usually assembled, he answered: " They assemble when and
where they can. Our God is not bound to any certain place, as
He is invisible, and fills Heaven and earth, He is praised and wor-
shipped in all places."
The Judge put similar questions to the others who were imprisoned
with Justin, and they
Christians by
all answered that they were
the mercy of God. " Are you convinced," said the
Proconsul, turning to Justin, "that you will ascend to Heaven
if you be scourged from head to foot?" Justin answered in the
affirmative. "Our sufferings will hasten our happiness, and
carry us to that judgment-seat before which all will have to appear."
The others added: " It is useless to keep us longer waiting.
We are Christians and will never sacrifice to the gods."
As the Perfect saw that they persevered undauntedly in their
refusal, he condemned them to be first scourged, and then, according
to the Roman method, he commanded them once more
to sacrifice to the gods: but they all refused. The martyrs were
then led to the place of execution where they received their glorious
crowns.
Justin had already fallen, and five of his companions had
shared his fate, leaving Charitana alone standing in the blood
of her companions. She bent her head to the earth, in ah
humility, crossed her arms upon her breast and remained in
prayer. As she returned no answer to the many questions
put to her by the judge, Rusticus gave a sign to the execu-
tioner, and immediately his rough hand seized her fainting
form by the shoulder, cast her to the ground, and
moment her head lay severed from her body.
in a
The legends have preserved to us the names of these six
martyrs who suffered with Justin, and they are: Charitana,
Euclipistus, Hiernx, Pawn, Liberianus, and Chariton. The
vear of this event is given as A. D. 167 13th of April.
Justin is honored by the Greeks on the 1st of June.
After this short digression let us return again to the grave
of Charitana. He who led her daughter to it, is already
departed to join the meeting which was usual after the sacrifice.
He is no other than the kind and pious Pope, Soter, who
is like the Good Shepherd in the midst of his threatened sheep,
and whose bare appearance is a loud exhortation to all to stand
firm. Church history praised this holy Pope in a particular manner,
on account of his mildness and fatherly tenderness. Not
only to the menbers of the Church in Rome did the pope extend.