St. Thrasilla & Emiliana, Virgins (24 December): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

In this powerful reading from The Lives of the Saints by Father Alban Butler, we reflect on the holy lives and deaths of St Thilla and St Emiliana, virgins commemorated on December 24 and January 8 in the Roman Martyrology. These two sisters, aunts of St Gregory the Great, consecrated their virginity to God and lived an ascetic, monastic life within their father’s home. United by fervor, prayer, mortification, and holy charity, they advanced rapidly toward spiritual perfection. Their story also includes a solemn warning through their sister Gordiana, who began well but fell away through lukewarmness and attachment to the world—an ever-relevant lesson for Christians striving for perseverance. St Gregory recounts mystical visions, heroic prayer, and holy deaths, reminding us that: “Precious in the sight of God is the death of His Saints.” This reading calls us to: Detach from vanity and worldly distractions Persevere in prayer and mortification Prepare daily for a holy death Embrace humility, resignation, patience, and ardent charity Perfect for Advent reflection, daily saint readings, Catholic meditation, and those seeking to live and die well in Christ. 0:00 – Introduction: Lives of the Saints (December 24) 0:23 – St Thilla & St Emiliana, aunts of St Gregory the Great 0:37 – Consecrated virginity and ascetic life at home 1:10 – Growth in prayer, mortification, and detachment 1:23 – Gordiana’s fall into lukewarmness 2:16 – Warning against vanity and the world 2:53 – Perseverance and divine peace of the holy sisters 3:07 – Vision of Pope St Felix 3:18 – Holy death of St Thilla (December 24) 3:39 – Apparition to Emiliana and her death (January 8) 3:51 – Roman Martyrology and triumph of the saints 4:27 – Reflection on holy death and heavenly joy 4:29 – Brother John Baptist, Capuchin friar (Duke of Modena) 5:24 – Preparing for death: the spirit of the saints https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/december/st-thrasilla-and-emiliana/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #StThilla #StEmiliana #StGregoryTheGreat #RomanMartyrology #CatholicMeditation #TraditionalCatholic #HolyDeath #PerseveranceInFaith #CatholicAudiobook #SaintsStories #AdventReflection