Day 5 – Saint Perpetua (c. 182–203, martyred)

Perpetua was a young woman of Carthage, only twenty-two years old and the mother of an infant, when she was arrested for being a Christian. Her father pleaded with her to renounce her faith for the sake of her child and family. Yet Perpetua remained steadfast, answering him, “I cannot be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.”

While imprisoned, she kept a diary that still survives today — one of the earliest Christian writings by a woman. In it, she describes the fear, the longing for her baby, and the visions God gave her to strengthen her faith. In one dream, she climbed a ladder to heaven, stepping over the head of a dragon, a sign that Christ would give her victory over Satan. Her words reveal not a woman crushed by suffering, but one upheld by grace and filled with courage.

Alongside her was a slave girl named Felicity, also a Christian, who was heavily pregnant. Felicity gave birth just days before being led into the arena. Together, these women — so different in status yet united in Christ — stood side by side as sisters in faith. On the day of their martyrdom, they encouraged one another, kissed one another with the kiss of peace, and went bravely to meet the wild beasts.

Perpetua’s story has echoed across the centuries, not only because of her martyrdom but because of her humanity. She was a daughter, a mother, a friend — and yet she counted Christ as more precious than all else. Her life bears witness that the gospel transcends age, gender, and social class, binding the church together in faith and hope.

For us today, Perpetua reminds us that the call to follow Christ costs something real. Though our trials may be different, her words and witness call us to stand firm with courage, knowing that the same Spirit who upheld her is at work in us.