A meditation on the Feast of Saint Bibiana, from Dom Guéranger’s The Liturgical Year.Saint Bibiana (Viviana), a fourth-century Roman virgin and martyr, is remembered for her steadfast faith during the persecutions under Emperor Julian the Apostate. According to tradition, she was the daughter of noble Christian parents who themselves suffered for the faith, and after their death she and her sister Demetria were targeted in an effort to force them to renounce Christ. Demetria died confessing her faith, while Bibiana was subjected to cruel torments and sentenced to a life of degradation, yet she remained unbroken in spirit and unwavering in virtue. When she refused all attempts to corrupt or intimidate her, she was brutally scourged to death with leaded whips, offering her life as a witness to Christ. Her relics were later honored in a church built on the site of her martyrdom in Rome, where she has been venerated for centuries as a model of purity, courage, and perseverance.Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.Please note: The entries of the Liturgical Year are primarily authored by Dom Prosper Guéranger, but occasionally contain editors’ additions of subsequent information and events that are relevant to the given feast.Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily, unless a Ferial day): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJ