Book Review: The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity

The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity was written by Perpetua herself and reveals a detailed account of her time in prison and the sufferings she encountered there.

The book reveals that the holy lady, Perpetua, had been born into a noble family with a mother, father, and two brothers, one of which was a catechumen like Perpetua.[1] As it happened, she had been arrested and was now imprisoned with her newborn son, alongside “the young catechumens, Revocatus and Felicity his fellow-servant, Saturnius and Secundulus.” [2] Perpetua calls to attention an occasion between herself and her father, which defined the strength and solidity of her faith in Jesus Christ. Through his deep love for his daughter and in an attempt to possibly save her life, Perpetua’s father tries to persuade her to give up her faith. She recalls: “Father, said I, seest thou (for example’s sake) this vessel lying, a pitcher or whatsoever it may be? And he said, I see it. And I said to him. Can it be called by any other name than that which it is? And he answered. No. So can I call myself nought other than that which I am, a Christian.”[3] Perpetua goes on to thank God in prayer, for she saw the attempt of her father as a work of the devil, who might seek to drive her from the Christian faith. At this time in Prison, she acquires the sacrament of Baptism and is received into the Church, praying meanwhile for strength in the flesh so that she might be prepared to endure the torments to come.

Perpetua continues to describe her many sorrows during her imprisonment by mentioning her torment at the plight of her newborn child, which of course was suffering from hunger. Through the help of the deacons, the holy lady was able to procure a more desirable place within the prison from where she could feed her child.

Upon a request from her brother, Perpetua asked the Lord for a vision to determine if her time in prison was to be a passion or a deliverance. Her desire was granted and she beheld a bronze ladder ascending to heaven and adorning it on each side were “planted all manner of things of iron. There were swords there, spears, hooks, and knives; so that if any that went up took not good heed or looked not upward, he would be torn and his flesh cling to the iron.”[4] Perpetua then describes a serpent, which lay at the bottom of the ladder and threatening all those who would climb. It seems that this ladder was to be compared to God’s holy will –made of beautiful material and leading to heaven, but also lined with pain and difficulty and impeded by the evil one, who would threaten all those attempting to walk the path leading to God. Upon her recovery from the vision, Perpetua informs her brother of God’s will for her in prison, that “it should be a passion.”[5]

      

          Perpetua describes her next sorrow to be that of her father, who once again comes to her, pleading that she should give up her faith and save her life for the sake of her family; her brothers, her mother and aunt, her father, and her newborn son. Despite his tears and sorrowful pleas, Perpetua remains strong and although she pitied his sorrow, she informed him of her trust in God’s power: “That shall be done at this tribunal, whatsoever God shall please; for know that we are not established in our own power, but in God’s.”[6]

            Perpetua then describes a third time how she is beseeched before the tribunal by her father who, carrying her newborn son, begs her to sacrifice and give up her faith for the sake of her baby. She bravely answers: “I will not sacrifice,”[7] and after publicly admitting her Christian faith, she is forced to witness her father being beaten with a rod in one final attempt to weaken her stance in the faith. However, the attempt fails and her sentence is passed –she is to be fed to the beasts, along with the rest of her companions. Returning to the prison cell, Perpetua requests her baby, that she might feed him again, but this request was refused. Despite her pain, Perpetua remains cheerful and her friends did likewise. [8]

A few days after her trial, Perpetua is confronted a fourth time by her father, who once again, shows his agony and tears his beard, while cursing his years and “saying such words as might move all creation. I was grieved for his unhappy old age.”[9] She is moved to pity for her father, but her love of God remains firm.

Perpetua describes the sorrow of her companion, Felicity, who being with child, was not permitted by law to be subject to death by the torments of the games. Felicity had carried her child for eight months and now that the days of the games began to draw near, she prayed to God that he might quicken her delivery and so enable her to suffer martyrdom at the same time as her companions. Her prayers were quickly answered and three days before the games, the pains of labor came upon her. She soon gave birth to a girl, whom Felicity gave to her sister to be reared as her own.[10] It was during the pains of labor however, that Felicity was asked of a servant: “Thou that thus makest complaint now, what wilt thou do when thou art thrown to the beasts?” to whom Felicity firmly responded, “I myself now suffer that which I suffer, but there another shall be in me who shall suffer for me, because I am to suffer for him.”[11] She thereby reveals that she had been strengthened by the Holy Spirit and received the grace to accept martyrdom joyfully, while also trusting that Christ would deliver her from the pain which she would so willingly suffer for his sake.[12]

            

            On the day of their execution, both Felicity and Perpetua were led rejoicing into the arena alongside their brave and faithful companions. First, they were all beaten with scourges by the gladiators, which aroused only a sense of joy among the martyrs because they were experiencing torture in a way similar to that of Jesus Christ.

             For Perpetua and Felicity, it was arranged that they face a maddened cow, while clothed in nothing but fishnets. But upon seeing the two young women in such garments, the crowd disapproved and demanded that the holy women be clothed in loose robes. This being done, the games proceeded and Perpetua was first to be thrown upon the ground. In doing so, her robe was torn and her thigh became exposed, to which her response was calm and immediate. She simply adjusted the garment, “mindful rather of modesty than of pain.”[13] After watching as Felicity was thrown to the ground, Perpetua immediately went to her and helped her to stand, demonstrating to all her fearlessness and firmness of heart. When the cow failed to execute the two holy maidens, it was decided that they should be executed by the sword, which both women joyfully accepted. As the executioner approached Perpetua, his “swordsman hand wandered still (for he was a novice),”[14] and therefore Perpetua took the sword in her own hands and “set it upon her own neck.”[15] It was afterwards said of the holy woman that nothing else could have slain her unless she had so willed it.[16]

            The lives and passion of these two great martyrs should be to all mankind a perfect example of how to live one’s life for Christ –to love him to such a degree that would render one capable of bearing tortures of all kinds for love of Christ’s name. Their passions reveal to the world that no matter how hard life becomes, there will always be the light of Christ to guide and direct upon the right path, those who love him, whether it be of a path of deliverance or of passion. If it be a path of passion and suffering for Jesus’ sake, then it follows that one will receive the courage and fortitude from the Holy Spirit to remain strong in God’s sight throughout the pains of torture and even to the point of death.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us!

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[1] https://ia801005.us.archive.org/29/items/passionofssperpe00perp/passionofssperpe00perp.pdf, 23.

[2] Ibid. 23.

[3] Ibid. 24.

[4] Ibid. 26

[5] Ibid. 27.

[6] Ibid. 27.

[7] Ibid. 28

[8] Ibid. 28.

[9] Ibid. 30.

[10] Ibid. 36.

[11] Ibid. 36.

[12] Ibid. 36.

[13] Ibid. 40.

[14] Ibid. 42.

[15] Ibid. 42.

[16] Ibid. 42.