Yesterday I posted a photo of the church of Santa Prassede, and today is the feast day of Saint Prassede (sometimes spelled differently, like "Praxedes" ). She is a character in my historical fiction novel, A Week in the Life of Rome. Here's her story, from my book on Rome:
Prassede was the other daughter (along with Pudenziana) of the Roman senator Pudens. The senator and his daughters were said to be converts of the apostle Peter, who stayed with them while he was in Rome. According to tradition, the two sisters collected and cared for the bodies of the martyrs who were executed. It is said that Prassede in particular made a habit of lovingly taking up the martyrs’ blood in a sponge and then pouring it into a well. Therefore, Prassede is often depicted in paintings holding a sponge or sitting near a well. The bodies of the martyrs that were retrieved by the two sisters were said to be placed in the catacombs of Santa Priscilla, though this cannot be verified, since it is not clear that these catacombs were in use yet in the first century. In reality, the connection between the two sisters and the catacombs of Priscilla may explain why some versions of the story make them the granddaughters of Pudens rather than his daughters. The senator and his daughters were eventually also laid to rest in the catacombs of Priscilla. In 2 Timothy 4:21, St. Paul greets a Pudens, who may be the father of the two sisters.
Saint Prassede, pray for us!
I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:
This was for March 24th, recorded for the Ascension App
Thanks for your patience - here is our next installment of The Journey - it's session # 96, but I'm also calling it PART 1 of a "miniseries" on John chapter 6.
Whoever watches it first, please let me know if it looks good or if there are any problems with it - I get through the first two sections of the text on the feeding of the 5,000.
Enjoy!
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
