00:00Today, November 5th, the Church celebrates Saint Sylvia, a 6th century Roman woman, mother of the great Pope Saint Gregory the Great.
00:14While her son would go on to make his mark on the history of Christianity, Sylvie chose the path of silence, prayer and self-sacrifice, in the discreet light of her home which became a domestic sanctuary.
00:27Saint Sylvia was born in Rome, in the heart of a time troubled by barbarian invasions and the decadence of the Empire.
00:37Born into a noble family, she was given in marriage to a pious, Gordian man, with whom she lived in exemplary fidelity.
00:47Together they had several children, the most famous of whom was Gregory, the future pope and doctor of the Church.
00:54From her son's childhood, Sylvie knew she had a soul destined for great things.
01:03She would have passed on the love of prayer, compassion for the poor and above all fidelity to Christ.
01:11In an unstable world, she made her home a refuge of peace and faith.
01:15After her husband's death, Sylvie chose to withdraw from the world to lead a life of contemplation and service.
01:25She retired to Mount Caelian in Rome, where she devoted the rest of her days to contemplation and charitable works.
01:32Her contemporaries described her as a gentle woman, firm in her faith, with a face radiating kindness.
01:42It was said that she would get up before dawn to pray and that she always kept a piece of bread ready for the beggars who knocked on her door.
01:49His simple and unadorned house became a place of peace and wisdom where even priests came seeking advice.
02:00Saint Gregory, who later became pope, often spoke of his mother with deep emotion.
02:07He saw in her the very example of the Christian woman: humble, patient, and unfailingly faithful to prayer.
02:15He had a small chapel erected in her honor after her death and asked that prayers be offered for her in the Roman liturgy.
02:25Saint Sylvie gave up her soul to God towards the end of the 6th century.
02:29His body was buried in the church of Saint Sebastian in Rome.
02:33The church venerates her today as a model of Christian mothers and protector of homes.
02:39symbol of quiet faith that transforms the world without noise.
02:42In a noisy and often turbulent world,
02:47Saint Sylvie reminds us of the power of inhabited silence.
02:50of hidden prayer, of the maternal heart which, through its faith, raises up saints.
02:57May his example inspire us to sanctify our homes,
03:00to pray without ceasing and to serve God in the small things of daily life.
03:06Prayer to Saint Sylvie
03:07O Saint Sylvie, loving Mother of Saint Gregory the Great,
03:14You who have sanctified your house through prayer and charity,
03:18Teach us to find God in ordinary life.
03:22Help mothers raise their children in the faith.
03:26Support families through hardship
03:27And increase in our hearts a taste for silence and prayer.
03:33Grant us the grace of patience and gentleness.
03:36And trust in Providence.
03:40May we, like you, know how to transform our homes.
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