Saint Cecilia & The Princess in Me

When I was a little girl, I used to play with my sister’s first communion veil.  One day I found it hidden neatly in brown tissue in a drawer in our china cabinet.  Every day (after that), I would find a way to try it on and to play with it in secret (or so I thought) because by the way it was stored I knew it was special.  I would look at myself in the mirror and not see a miniature bride, but a beautiful, medieval princess.  One day my mom casually said; “you know if your sister catches you wearing her Communion veil she’s not going to be very happy.”  I was so sneaky, how in the world did she find out?  That’s when I realized that moms know everything!  Yep, they do!  Moms are also very kind because she followed with, “when you celebrate your First Communion, after the ceremony you can use the dress and the veil to play with it as much as you want.”  I had so many dreams of me in complete princess gear of running free in the fields and addressing my animal kingdom (we lived in a farm) in full attire.  But…  As luck would have it the day after my First Holy Communion we got on a bus that relocated my family to California, we didn’t have enough room in our packing for a puffy white dress not even the veil…

Why am I telling you this story?  Because my sister made a comment about my costume, “Why do you always wear long dresses for Halloween?”

She’s right in her observation.  I’ve always loved wearing costumes that incorporate long, flowy dresses and crowns- oh the crowns!  I have been all sort of classic characters: Juliet, Esmeralda, classical fairy princess, Snow Brown (look at my skin I can’t be Snow White)- the list is endless!  In fact, this year I decided to dress as Saint Cecilia mostly because I saw images captured her with a flower crown! A saint with a flower crown- how completely irresistible!!! 

Yet, I pondered why do I have such an affinity to period costumes? Hum…  I don’t have any desire to be a princess, but looking like one is a whole different matter.  This obsession began with that secret veil!  Oh, how I lamented (as a child) the loss of my Communion attire.  I had so many plans, so many hopes for that outfit- I was going to wear it until it fell apart – until I had to be ripped out of it, or buried in it whichever came first.  Yet, I only wore it one single time! In fact, I haven’t seen it since - nor will I ever.  A few years ago my mom returned from Mexico sharing that she cleaned out our closets (in our home in Michoacán) and gave away many things- one being my communion dress! Oh, how I wanted to cry, to travel back in time and retrieve that perfect dress of dreams… I got mad at her for doing so, but quickly forgave her because what use can I have for it now?  But, you see that’s when this snobbery began.  What I was unable to do as a child, I now replicate every year on the one day that society allows me to be a child again.  I go back in time and give that princess-starved child in me her dream of looking like a princess.  Yes, I happen to be prejudice in my costume selections – I will only choose costumes with crowns and long dresses.  Though on occasion I will surprise you (like last year when I was Saint Joan of Arc)…  But that’s rare.  I tend to stick with what I love, and what I love is looking like a Medieval princess queen! 

Saint Cecilia with her guardian angel and me with mine... LOL!

This year, I enjoyed reading the biography, Saint Cecilia Virgin, Wife, Martyr, by Father Prosper Gueranger.  I found and read the book while praying a novena to my guardian angel and discovered that she was a saint who had the privilege of seeing hers!  Thus, I felt like the Holy Spirit inspired my saint selection this year by showing me an image of her with a flower crown!  God loves to be funny like that (smile).  As it turns out her angel was the one that gifted Saint Cecilia the crown of flowers- flowers from paradise!  I found her biography really interesting though it left me with many unanswered questions about celibacy and purity… She was married; yet, never consummated her marriage because God protected her virginity.  Through this purity she was able to assist in her husband’s conversion and he was eventually also able to see the angel that protected her.  Together, the husband and wife, were able to accomplish much for the Kingdom and gave up their lives for their faith.  She also had a beautiful voice and loved to sing to the Lord.  Thus, she’s the patron saint of music, composers, luthiers, poets and singers. In addition, to her patronage of bodily purity and martyrs.  Reading the lives of the saints, helps me get to know each individually.  By knowing each better, I am then able to ask for their intercession because we (the saint and I) have created a friendship and when there’s friendship it’s not at all weird to ask for prayer.  I recommend that if you have difficulty understanding the intercession of saints that you begin by getting to know some of them more intimately.  Saint Cecilia, ora pro nobis.